• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEX 2019: Big contracts on the horizon for Milrem

  25th February 2019

  Once again Milrem Robotics' THeMIS UGV was unavoidable at an international trade show in various weaponised configurations and after years of pushing the platform some larger …

• Air Warfare

  Saab makes statement of intent on Tempest

  15th February 2019

  Saab is not ruling out potential involvement in major European future combat jet programmes with the company strongly hinting that it favours the British-led Tempest …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MBDA’s Brimstone for UK Protector

  29th January 2019

  MBDA has received a contract for the integration of the Brimstone high-precision strike missile onto the Royal Air Force’s (RAF's) Protector RG Mk1 aircraft, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI deals signify good business for Britain

  25th January 2019

  As industry continues to ponder how a no-deal Brexit would effect the British workforce, US company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) made it clear that it …

• Training

  CAE to provide Protector RG1 training system

  28th January 2019

  As the Royal Air Force prepares for the integration of its latest RPAS, the GA-ASI Protector RG Mk1, an important milestone has been achieved with …

• Naval Warfare

  Mistral missile in new demonstration

  11th January 2019

  MBDA has successfully demonstrated the anti-surface capabilities of the Mistral missile against fast inshore attack craft using a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret, the company announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Dassault signs Rafale F4 development contract

  14th January 2019

  French manufacturer Dassault Aviation has signed a Rafale F4 standard development contract with the French Armed Forces, which will offer the platform a host of …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea Venom firing latest in series of UK-France missile developments

  17th December 2018

  As work continues on the joint UK-France programme to develop a next-generation cruise and anti-ship missile system, the smaller but equally crucial Sea Venom has …

• Defence Notes

  EDEX 2018: Weaponised jets proving a challenge for Egypt

  4th December 2018

  The Egyptian Air Force's fast jet fleet is being blighted by a hold-up on its desired weapon for the Dassault Rafale and the service has …

• Land Warfare

  Poland nears Wisla final decision

  13th December 2018

  The Polish MoD has confirmed that negotiations for the next phase of the Wisla air and missile defence programme are moving forward as planned and …

• Land Warfare

  MBDA demos MMP in France

  20th November 2018

  MBDA has showcased the full range of capabilities of its fifth generation Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) ground combat missile during a live firing demonstration at …

• Defence Helicopter

  Marte ER missile firing in Italy

  21st November 2018

  MBDA’s Marte ER anti-ship missile completed its first firing at an Italian test range on 9 November 2018. During the trial the Marte ER missile …

• Land Warfare

  Russia wins tumultuous Indian air defence tender

  21st November 2018

  Illustrating all that is wrong with many Indian defence procurement, on 19 November the MoD disconcertingly declared KBM’s 9K338 Igla-S as the lowest bidder for …

• Land Warfare

  France clears MMP missile for desert operations

  22nd October 2018

  The French Army has carried out operational evaluation of the MMP land combat missile system in Djibouti, to assess the weapon’s suitability for use in …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus confident AI will dominate the future of air power

  7th November 2018

  Artificial intelligence (AI) and greater interoperability of airborne and ground based systems will soon dictate the way in which future air combat programmes unfold. That’s …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) (FCAS) [France]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) (FCAS) [Spain]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

• Loitering munitions

  Colibri [France]

  Programme Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated in a press conference in May 2022 that the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) (FCAS) [Germany]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale Follow-On (Egypt)

  Programme Background Egypt was reported to request 12 Rafale fighters following an earlier contract in 2015. However, this deal fell into limbo after the Pentagon blocked ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

• Loitering munitions

  Larinae [France]

  Programme Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated in a press conference in May 2022 that the Direction Générale de l'Armement ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale [France]

  Programme Background Rafale F4 is the latest configuration of the Rafale fighter jet family. New functions will also be developed to improve the aircraft’s capabilities ...

• Frigates

  Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background The US State Department approved a possible $11.25 billion Foreign Military Sale to the KSA for MMCS ships and associated equipment, parts and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [France]

  Programme Background The governments of France and Germany have launched the demonstrator phase for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with the issue of an ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [Spain]

  Programme Background Programme Timeline The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) was publicly announced in July 2017, followed by a Franco-German agreement in 2018. At the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [Germany]

  Background Requirement The FCAS programme is based on the system-of-systems design, envisioning a "command fighter" aircraft that has stand-alone combat capability as well as controlling ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Sherpa Light (Morocco)

  Programme Background Morocco is in the midst of procuring large quantities of defence equipment from the French defence industry to modernise its forces, with much ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI (Qatar)

  Programme Background The VBCI-2 was selected in preference to a competing offer comprising Patria's AMV 8x8 equipped with a Lockheed Martin turret. However, at the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Aster 30

  The ASTER-30 is a vertically launched surface-to-air missile produced by Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and the Thales Group. Its basic ...

• Self-propelled missile systems

  MPCV

  The Multi-Purpose Combat Vehicle (MPCV) was developed by MBDA in cooperation with Rheinmetall Defence Electronics to provide a mobile weapon system which can be adapted ...

• Self-propelled missile systems

  MEADS

  The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) provides 360° defence against existing and future tactical or medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, UAVs and aircraft. MEADS ...

• 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 ...

• SABER

  The Small Air Bomb Extended Range (SABER) family is being developed to provide a low-cost weapon for small and medium-sized UAVs and small tactical UAVs. ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  MdCN-NCM (Naval Cruise Missile)

  Developed by MBDA to meet the needs of the French Navy, the MdCN-NCM is a long-range cruise missile capable of being launched from surface and below-surface vessels. ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  CAMM

  The Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) is a short-range, anti-aircraft and anti-missile surface-to-air missile. Developed to be launched from maritime platforms, land-based platforms and aircraft, ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  SPEAR 3

  The Selective Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 3 is being developed by MBDA for the UK MoD, which is seeking a new missile for ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Aster 15

  The Aster 15 is a vertically launched surface-to-air missile produced by Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA France, MBDA Italy and the Thales Group. It ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Expendable Remote Carrier (ERC)

  The Expendable Remote Carrier (ERC) is an experimental autonomous system that MBDA revealed at the Paris Air Show 2023.  A critical part of the FCAS programme, ...

• Self-propelled missile systems

  VL MICA system

  The Vertical Launch (VL) MICA (Missile d’interception et de combat aérien) is a short-range air defence system using the MICA fire-and-forget missile, which MBDA describes ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  MPCV

  The Multi-Purpose Combat Vehicle (MPCV) is a 4x4 armoured vehicle developed by Soframe on the Mercedes-Benz Unimog 5000 truck chassis. Able to accommodate between four ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  Brimstone

  MBDA developed the Brimstone missile to provide an air-to-surface missile to equip UK RAF Tornados. The Dual Mode Brimstone (DMB) semi-active laser and the millimetre-wave, ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  Marte

  The Marte is a medium-range, fire-and-forget, all-weather, sea-skimming anti-ship missile system derived from the Italian Sea Killer missile. It is a helicopter-launched, horizon-range anti-ship weapon with ...