• Training

  Australia’s exercise tempo increases as it looks east for national defence

  7th October 2024

  The Australian Government has focused heavily on the defence of its north-west coast, with plans to move its attack helicopters to the area, as well as base its maritime patrol assets in the region.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea approves more frigates plus SM-3 missiles

  6th May 2024

  South Korea’s six FFX Batch IV frigates are expected to be delivered by 2032 and will full retirement of remaining Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates, and possibly Gwanggaeto-class destroyers.

• Digital Battlespace

  Seizing the Future: The Imperative for Militaries to Master AI and Forge Strategic Alliances

  16th August 2024

  The current pace of innovation demands a new strategy for success, focusing on developing technology to meet specific defence goals and ensuring collaborative efforts.

• Naval Warfare

  Norway and Germany sign agreement on NATO undersea infrastructure

  19th October 2024

  A new chain of Critical Undersea Infrastructure hubs among NATO Allies has been proposed to ensure pipes and cables are safe from damage.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing gets another boost with 36 Apaches approved for South Korea amid flurry of FMS deals

  20th August 2024

  The approval of four Foreign Military Sale (FMS) requests this week follows the green light for the sale to Israel of 50 F-15IA multi-role fighter aircraft and mid-life update kits for the country’s existing F-15s and other equipment in deals worth $20 billion.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris wins P-8A Poseidon support contract

  1st October 2024

  L3Harris has provided support for previous generation P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). As many P-3 Orion users retire the aircraft, they have been picking up P-8A Poseidon MPAs, which L3Harris has now been contracted to support.

• Naval Warfare

  RIMPAC 2024 brings more navies together than ever before for biennial warfare exercise

  17th July 2024

  RIMPAC 2024 offered 29 national navies opportunities to train together for combat readiness in multiple domains, including underwater.

• Air Warfare

  UK RAF Wedgetail AEW&C completes first flight

  23rd September 2024

  The future UK E-7 fleet will operate from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland and the inaugural test flight is of one of three aircraft currently under modification in Birmingham, UK, where the flight took off from.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea fortifies defence against nuclear threat and fighter shortfall with more F-35s

  3rd January 2024

  South Korea has formalised its plans to expand its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall and DOK-ING to work together on armed support UGV development

  29th October 2024

  DOK-ING has a substantial heritage of UGV development, mostly in mine clearance, and the agreement with Rheinmetall will take the companies in a new direction.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system

  20th November 2024

  The most recent nation to join NATO has joined other member nations in using the M3 system.

• Air Warfare

  Dutch $691 million request for Sidewinder missiles approved

  9th September 2024

  The approval for the purchase follows other orders approved or placed in the past year by Romania, Poland, Italy and South Korea.

• Air Warfare

  South Korean KF-21 Boramae fighter achieves aerial refuelling milestone

  21st March 2024

  The successful completion of the first aerial refuelling trial for South Korea's indigenous KF-21 Boramae fighter prototype has marked a leap forward in its development.

• Training

  NATO concludes largest exercise in decades

  3rd June 2024

  NATO’s Operation Steadfast Defender involved more than 90,000 personnel, more than 50 ships, more than 80 aircraft flying hundreds of sorties and more than 1,100 combat vehicles from all 32 NATO allies.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea gets MH-60R helicopter engine and sustainment

  11th March 2024

  The agreement between the US and South Korea included engines, sustainment and logistical support for the MH-60R helicopters.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Frigates

  Daegu Class (FFX Batch II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The Incheon and Daegu classes are part of a re-capitalisation effort to replace the older Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates with a new FFX class ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KAAV II

  Programme Background The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) operates one Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship and has launched another to support provide operational lift for the ROKMC. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (North Macedonia)

  Programme Background In its Long-Term Defence Capabilities Development Plan (LTDCDP) published in 2019, the North Macedonian MoD outlined plans to acquire Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) ...

• Destroyers

  Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The third element of South Korea's "Three Axis System" - a complex of measures designed to track, detect, and eliminate an adversary’s ballistic missiles and ...

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

  KUS-FS (ROKAF) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Inception The Aerospace Division of Korean Air (KAL-ASD) commenced developing the MUAV in 2008 in response to a ROKAF requirement for a MALE UAV ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Light Protected Mobility Vehicles [North Macedonia]

  Programme Background The acquisition of an LPMV to equip the North Macedonian Armed Forces' Light Infantry Battalion Group (LIBG) is considered the most urgent priority for ...

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

  KUS-FS (ROKA) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Inception The Aerospace Division of Korean Air (KAL-ASD) commenced developing the MUAV in 2008 in response to a ROKAF requirement for a MALE ...

• Trainer

  T-4 Replacement (Japan)

  Programme Background The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has been using the T-4 as an intermediate trainer jet since 1988, but now the Acquisition, Technology ...

• Patrol boats

  Multifunctional Support Ships (TRIFC/MICAN) (1-2) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Requirements In 2022, the Royal Netherlands Navy started The Rapidly Increased Firepower Capability (TRIFC) concept, a study focused on procuring low-manned platforms to augment the firepower ...

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

  Indigenous UAS (South Korea)

  Programme Background South Korea's Total UAS Budget The government of South Korea wants to grow its domestic UAS industry. To do this, it was reported in ...

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

  Puma 3 AE (UK)

  Programme Background Testing The Royal Navy announced in October 2020 that the Puma was undergoing its first operational testing on HMS Albion's autumn deployment to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Counter-UAS systems

  Drone Killer

  The Uconsystem Drone Killer was unveiled in October 2015 and was developed in response to a UAV threat from North Korea, which saw four North ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Gumdoksuri Class (PKX-A)

  The Gumdoksuri-class fast attack craft, also known as the PKX-A-class, was designed to replace the Republic of Korea Navy's ageing fleet of Sea Dolphin-class vessels ...

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

  Reconnaissance UAV

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone closely resembled General Atomics' (GA-ASI) ...

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

  Multirole UAV

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone closely resembled General Atomics' (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper, and, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III/HDD-10000) Batch 1

  The Sejong the Great-class destroyers were built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as the third iteration of its KDX continuous destroyer construction programme ...

• Military UGVs

  SCOBOT 200

  The SCOBOT 200 is a larger, two-tracked version of the SCOBOT 100 (see separate entry). It can be used for EOD tasks. It was tested ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DD)

  The Maya-class (27DD) destroyers are the latest in a long line of modern destroyer classes for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Well aware of ...

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

  RemoEye-002B

  RemoEye-002B is a close-range mini-UAV constructed using composite materials that can be prepared and launched in 5min. Its features include changeable flight modes during mission, ...

• Frigates

  Krivak Class

  The Krivak-class (Project 1135) frigates first entered service in 1970 and various types of the class have entered service, particularly the Indian Navy's Talwar-class (see ...

• Corvettes

  Pohang Class

  The Pohang-class corvettes were designed and built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), and a total of 24 ships were constructed of either anti-surface ...

• Destroyers

  Chungmugong Yi Sun Shin Class (KDX-II/HDD-5000)

  The Chungmugong Yi Sun Shin class (KDX-II) is a class of multi-purpose destroyers in service with the Republic of Korea Navy. Six ships were developed under ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  K239 Chunmoo

  Doosan (now Hanwha Defense) developed the K239 Chunmoo long-range 16-round multicalibre MRL to replace the Doosan K136 Kooryong 130mm 36-round unguided MRL in Republic of ...

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

  Mavic 2 (Series)

  The Mavic 2 is a series of rotary-wing Micro UAS manufactured by DJI. The series features three platforms: the Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 2 Zoom ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  LR-100

  Northrop Grumman’s RA-4B Global Hawk uninhabited aerial vehicle is equipped with the company’s LR-100 Electronic Support Measure (ESM). The LR-100 performs an important role supporting ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Aegis Ashore

  Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System originally developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's Ballistic Missile Defence ...