• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory: Scorpion looks for new technology

  6th June 2016

  With delivery dates set all eyes are on French industry at this year’s Eurosatroy as the French Army’s Scorpion modernisation programme gathers pace. Scorpion is …

• Defence Notes

  UK awards F-35 missile contract

  23rd May 2016

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £411 million contract to MBDA for developing a new missile for its F-35B future supersonic stealth …

• Defence Notes

  UK considers laser-equipped Phalanx

  26th May 2016

  The UK could test a Phalanx close-in weapon system equipped with a directed-energy weapon capability, with the first demonstrations potentially taking place in 2018. The …

• Defence Notes

  RAF tests enhanced Brimstone

  10th May 2016

  The latest technical enhancements of the MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missile have been tested in operational trials by the Royal Air Force (RAF) at China Lake …

• Defence Notes

  DSA 2016: Triple strike options from MBDA

  16th April 2016

  The European missile house MBDA is promoting Sea Ceptor, Sea Venom and EMADS to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). With old Otomat and Aspide missile systems aboard the …

• Naval Warfare

  DSA 2016: First NGPV-LCS due in 2019

  20th April 2016

  The Next Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (NGPV-LCS) is destined to be an important platform for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) once it …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2016: NIMR sets sights on Far East

  13th April 2016

  Middle Eastern vehicle manufacturer NIMR is targeting South East Asia as a market for its new vehicles as is builds up its facilities in the …

• Naval Warfare

  Qatar signs MoU for coastal missile system

  31st March 2016

  MBDA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a coastal defence system to the Qatar Emiri Naval Force (QENF), it announced on 30 …

• Naval Warfare

  DIMDEX 2016: Qatar spending spree

  30th March 2016

  Additional maintenance, equipment and training MoU’s were signed for the Qatar Emiri Armed Forces on 30 March. The contracts were with companies such as MBDA, Thales …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore declassifies IAI radar

  6th April 2016

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) put its new Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) Elta Systems radar through its paces at the recent Exercise Cope …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2016: Indian air defence still up in the air

  1st April 2016

  The Indian Army currently has several air defence programmes on the go. These include antiaircraft artillery, very short-range air defence systems (VSHORADS), which are outlined …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2016: Indian Army homes in on SAMs

  1st April 2016

  An earlier survey of Indian Amy air defence requirements discussed antiaircraft artillery and VSHORADS. A third area of need is for short-range surface-to-air missiles (SR-SAM). …

• Land Warfare

  MBDA outlines key countries for FLAADS

  18th March 2016

  MBDA has identified at least four countries that could be potential customers for its land-based future local area air defense system (FLAADS), currently in development …

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA completes SIMBAD-RC trial

  18th March 2016

  MBDA has successfully completed two Mistral firings using a SIMBAD-RC firing post, the company announced on 17 March, marking the last technical milestone before customer …

• Defence Helicopter

  Apache to fire Brimstone this year

  17th March 2016

  The first firing of a Brimstone missile from a Boeing AH-64E Apache is planned for later this year as part of a feasibility study funded …

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 ...