• Training

  Trilateral autonomous undersea warfare exercise tightens the bonds of AUKUS

  10th November 2023

  The Integrated Battle Problem 23-3 exercise brought together Australian, UK and US naval forces test to autonomous undersea warfare capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2023: Australian companies launch rockets from Funnel Web robot, point to Ukraine potential

  7th September 2023

  Australian companies Black Sky Aerospace and Funnel Web Systems showcased a demonstration of rocket-firing from a UGV at Poland's MSPO, specifically pointing to potential in the war in Ukraine as a scenario where they could be used.

• Land Warfare

  Malaysia turns to Turkey for new ATGMs

  2nd October 2023

  Malaysia will buy an initial 18 Karaok man-portable antitank missiles from Roketsan in Turkey.

• Defence Notes

  Ukraine and Taiwan? What the US will spend Biden's extra 40.1 billion defence dollars on

  23rd August 2023

  The additional budget proposal addresses critical needs for emergency funding for the Pentagon, partners and allies.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: New EOS R800 RWS combines laser and kinetic capabilities to counter aerial threats

  10th October 2023

  The weapon has been designed to be capable of blinding the optics in all classes of UAVs and ATGMs.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023 - US Army seeks additional funds to supply ammunition to Israel

  9th October 2023

  The US Army is currently in the process of determining what it can supply to the Israeli Defence Forces but is waiting for guidance from Israel on what that country needs.

• Air Warfare

  Russia to start mass production of Scalpel loitering munition

  15th September 2023

  A Russian loitering munition developer has said it will begin mass production a loitering munition which is claimed to be much cheaper than the Lancet which has been widely used in Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  Mercedes-Benz delivers 100-plus Zetros trucks to Ukraine in support of war against Russia

  6th September 2023

  Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks has delivered more than 100 Zetros off-road vehicles to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence for military support and logistics tasks under an initiative funded by the German government.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Hanwha K9 Thunder becomes ‘best-selling’ 155mm SP artillery system

  18th October 2023

  Hanwha’s K9 Thunder customers are considering upgrading their equipment to the K9A2 following the South Korean Army’s example.

• Defence Notes

  Budgetary uncertainty threatens Argentinian modernisation plans

  29th January 2024

  The new Argentina government has reduced the defence budget request for 2024 and enabled the use of FONDEF for expenses not related to equipment improvement.

• Air Warfare

  US approves Spain's $2.8 billion Patriot purchase

  6th October 2023

  Spain set to add four Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Unit to its armoury, along with four AN/MPQ-65 radar sets and four AN/MSQ-132 engagement control stations.

• 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

  AUSA 2023: Scorpion 81mm mortar comes to USA

  11th October 2023

  Spain’s NTGS has teamed with the US company Global Military Products (GMP) to market their mortar system to the US and other potential customers.

• Defence Notes

  Sweden to commit AMRAAM missiles to Ukraine with 13th support package

  16th August 2023

  Sweden has announced its 13th support package to Ukraine, including ammunition, spare parts, transport vehicles, missiles and mine clearance equipment as part of an effort to provide significant military backing in response to Russia's invasion.

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine lessons: is bringing an attack helicopter to a missile fight too dangerous?

  15th September 2023

  According to multiple OSINT sources, Russian forces have lost possibly as many as 200 rotary-wing aircraft since February 2022. Some of these occurred in early high-profile operations, but most have been attrition casualties during the ongoing fighting. Shephard analyses the nature of these losses, and what lessons NATO attack helicopter operators should draw.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47 Chinook

  One role will be supporting army operations along India’s mountainous borders, with the Chinooks able to lift the M777 howitzers now being inducted. The last ...

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

  Akinci [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Two Export Contracts In January 2022, the Daily Sabah reported that Baykar had "recently" signed its first export contract for the Akinci. Haluk Bayraktar ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• Patrol boats

  FPB 98 (Ukraine)

  Programme Background The international competition had been launched in the Spring of 2018 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior for the reinforcement of the State ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (21 April 2022) Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 ...

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

  RQ-35 Heidrun (Ukraine Aid) [Germany]

  Programme Background Delivered Units On 19 April 2022, Oryx reported that Denmark had given Ukraine 25 Sky-Watch's Heidrun mini-UAV units as aid following Russia's invasion ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Ukraine)

  Programme Background Virtual Address On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. On 3 May 2022, the UK's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, virtually addressed the Ukrainian ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 (Aid & Discounted Units) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Pre Invasion Units The Ukrainian Army purchased 12 TB2 units in January 2019 for a reported $69 million. Deliveries began in June 2019, ...

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

  UX11 (Ukraine Aid) [France]

  Programme Background First Batch On 6 September 2023, Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister of Defence, announced Delair was providing Ukraine with more than 150 drones. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Announced at the NATO Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels in June 2023, Ukraine formally signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Procurement and Operation ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (16 March 2022 & 13 April 2022) On 16 March 2022, President Biden announced $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine through ...

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

  FPV Drones [Lithuania]

  Programme Background Ukraine FPV Drones On 5 April 2024, the Lithuanian MoD announced it would purchase around 3,000 Lithuanian-made FPV drones to give to Ukraine ...

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

  One 150 (Luxembourg)

  Programme Background According to information obtained by Army Recognition from the Luxembourg Ministry of Defense, the country has delivered six One 150 UAVs to Ukraine ...

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

  Latvian Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In April 2024, while in Lviv, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced a new AU$100 million military assistance package for Ukraine. This reaffirms ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Towed guns

  M777

  The Ultralightweight Field Howitzer (UFH), now designated the M777, was designed in 1987 in order to satisfy US Army requirements for a lightweight 155mm howitzer. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Enigma

  Unveiled in 2015, the Enigma is an 8x8 armoured personnel carrier. The vehicle is 8.3m long and 2.8m wide. It has a height of 2.39m ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed guns

  AH4

  In 2010, Norinco revealed that it was developing the AH4 155mm/39cal Lightweight Gun Howitzer to provide a lightweight alternative to its 12.5t AH1 155mm/45cal and ...

• Towed mortars

  M327 120mm EFSS Mortar

  General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems is the prime contractor for the USMC’s Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFFS), which consists of the M327 120mm towed ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Brutus

  AM General and Mandus produce the Brutus self-propelled howitzer. It is a truck-mounted system armed with the M776 155mm Howitzer.  Developed with hopes of securing a ...

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

  Shpak

  Shpak is a mini rotary wing, FPV style, UAV manufactured by RSI Europe. Primarily designed to carry explosives, the drone was developed to help Ukraine ...

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• Tanks

  T-80UD

  The 125mm-armed T-80UD MBT is a variant of the T-80 which was in production in Ukraine when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. An ...

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

  Supercam S350/S350F

  The Supercam S350/S350F is a mini fixed-wing that Supercam Unmanned Systems Group manufactures. The Russian UAV features a modular design and has been primarily designed ...

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

  Pro

  The Pro VTOL is a fixed-wing UAV from DeltaQuad. It is available in three models, the Map, View and Cargo variants, which primarily impact the attached payload. ...

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

  REX

  The REX is an in-development Ukrainian mini-attack drone. It can hold and subsequently drop various munitions weighing up to 10kg and can locate, fix, track, ...

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

  Observer-S

  The Observer-S is a UAV produced by Def C of the Intecracy Group in Ukraine. Its main purpose is aerial survey and reconnaissance. It is ...

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

  Astero

  Manufactured by Nordic Wing, the Astero is a fixed-wing mini UAV designed for ISR missions. The drone is equipped with a NightHawk 2 camera. In the ...

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

  Black Hornet 3

  The Black Hornet 3 is the next generation of the PD-100 Black Hornet, the world's smallest nano-UAS. This new model of the Black Hornet provides ...