• Digital Battlespace

  Estonia adds more Thales radars to boost air defences

  26th June 2023

  Estonia is to acquire two of the latest Thales GM400a radars to reinforce the Baltic state's air sovereignty.

• Air Warfare

  Northrop Grumman demonstrates deep-sensing platform at EDGE 23

  29th August 2023

  Northrop Grumman successfully showcased its Deep-Sensing and Targeting (DSaT) platform at the US Army's Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event 2023 (EDGE 23) event.

• Air Warfare

  Teal Drones boosted by order for more by USAF Security Forces and ID certification from FAA

  23rd August 2023

  Teal Drones has had its order book for USAF Security Forces doubled, and its Teal 2 UAS has received Remote ID certification. The latter meaning the platform can provide identification and location information, a requirement for operation in US airspace from next month.

• Land Warfare

  Saab wins A$56 million contract for Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons

  4th July 2023

  Saab Australia has been awarded an A$56 million contract by the Australian Department of Defence to supply additional Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons for delivery in 2024-2025.

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia confirms SitaWare for critical C2 elements of Land 200 Phase 3 project

  28th July 2023

  The Australian Defence Force has chosen Systematic's SitaWare software for the C2 functions of the Land 200 Phase 3 project, enhancing situational awareness and battlefield management.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2023: SpearUAV rolls out drone launcher system for submarines

  19th September 2023

  Israeli UAS developer SpearUAV introduced a submarine-launched capsule option for its Viper 750 UAV at DSEI 2023.

• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2023 in review: Ukraine, AI and the real world

  20th September 2023

  DSEI 2023 took place in the shadow of the largest European land war in more than seven decades and a growth in conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) with limited UK immediate defence programme opportunities; many of the new products and exhibitors' announcements reflected this.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UMS Skeldar equips V-200 UAV with Hydronalix USV

  27th June 2023

  At Modern Day Marine, drone-maker UMS Skeldar and Hydronalix announced a cooperation agreement to equip the V-200 rotary-UAS with the latter’s uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs).

• Training

  Ryan Aerospace to add mixed reality to US Air Force simulators

  26th June 2023

  Ryan Aerospace and Vertex Solutions have been contracted to provide an initial five mixed-reality training devices for pilots flying the T-38C jet trainer by upgrading existing simulators.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2023: Has the Royal Navy cut back its support vessel fleet too far?

  11th September 2023

  This second in Shephard’s three-part series examining the state of the UK RN analyses the fleet of support ships. These important vessels sustain naval forces at sea for long durations and at vast distances, but cuts to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's fleet have left crucial ships retired or sold, prompting concerns for future missions.

• Training

  DSEI 2023: BAE Systems showcases OdySSEy, single synthetic environment training platform for first time

  14th September 2023

  The ambitious BAE Systems OdySSEy, initiative, aimed at creating a future single synthetic environment (SSE) for military training, is making strides.

• Naval Warfare

  Corvette collaboration – how Europe is pooling skills and funds in a time of need

  13th September 2023

  When it comes to security, NATO tends to make the headlines more often than the EU. Yet since the war in Ukraine broke out, there has been a quiet but determined strengthening of purely European defence. And it starts with budgets.

• Defence Notes

  US provides a further $325 million worth of arms and equipment to support Ukraine, taking total to $43.9 billion since invasion

  22nd September 2023

  The US on 21 September announced another $325 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine, including missiles, air defence systems, ammunition and vehicles in support of the Eastern European country’s operations against the Russian invasion.

• Land Warfare

  SmartShooter showcases British Army SMASH technology at DSEI 2023

  12th September 2023

  Smartshooter's SMASH technology provides high precision against small targets across land, air and sea, including mini- and micro-UAS.

• Training

  Hadean unveils latest iteration of spatial computing platform at DSEI 2023

  13th September 2023

  Hadean has unveiled the latest evolution of its spatial computing platform at DSEI 2023.

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 ...