• Naval Warfare

  Is the US Navy’s new DDG(X) destroyer facing cancellation?

  6th June 2024

  The projected costs for the DDG(X) destroyer project are spiralling, its technologies need to be matured and the USN has more pressing priorities. If the programme begins to repeat some of the mistakes made on previous major surface combatant procurements then DDG(X) is likely to face the axe.

• Land Warfare

  Russia tests C-UAS slat protection over turrets and anti-UAV jamming systems for armoured vehicles

  20th September 2023

  Russian defence companies are adapting to emerging threats and exploring ways to counter top-attack munitions and first-person-view (FPV) UAVs.

• Land Warfare

  US Army explores sending ground robots underwater for logistics supply

  2nd January 2024

  The US Army is conducting research with commercially available solutions to assess their performance carrying diverse types of payloads.

• Land Warfare

  Germany orders PARM remote anti-tank weapon

  15th November 2023

  The PARM (Panzerabwehrrichtmine), a roadside anti-tank mine or effector, was originally triggered by a cable but has been upgraded to include more technologically advanced triggering mechanisms.

• Land Warfare

  How Europe is enhancing AFV survivability to counter new and old threats

  23rd December 2023

  A growing number of NATO countries are planning to upgrade their fleets of tracked and wheeled armoured fighting vehicles (AFV) to improve their survivability against emerging battlefield threats.

• Land Warfare

  Recent deliveries point to resurgent Russian defence industry

  19th January 2024

  The Russian defence industry has produced and delivered new and improved weapons systems to support the war effort in Ukraine, including the 2S35 Koalitsiya howitzer, the Gibka-S air defence system and the modernised T-80BVM tank, according to reports coming out of the country.

• Air Warfare

  UK set to host headquarters for GCAP sixth-generation fighter project, reports suggest

  22nd September 2023

  As discussions about the Global Combat Air Programme's headquarters location continue, Japan may lead the UK-based HQ to maintain programme balance.

• Naval Warfare

  Polish Navy Miecznik-class frigates to be fitted with TACTICOS integrated combat management system

  6th October 2023

  The multirole Miecznik-class frigates will be equipped with a set of sensors developed by Thales with the first ship scheduled to enter service in 2029.

• Defence Notes

  In depth: US and China’s complex arms race over Taiwan

  28th June 2024

  The US and China have been engaging in a complex game of mutual deterrence over Taiwan in a race that features a bewildering range of different equipment.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2023: EDGE Group partners with Thai defence company on UAVs

  10th November 2023

  EDGE Group and RV Connex have agreed to collaborate to provide UAVs, loitering munitions and other defence solutions to the Thai market.

• Air Warfare

  US Marines’ XQ-58A Valkyrie UAS completes first test flight

  9th October 2023

  The XQ-58A Valkyrie, developed by Kratos and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (USAFRL), is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, with a total of six planned test flights for the USMC

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI: Milrem displays new versions of THeMIS and reveals plans for larger UGV

  15th September 2023

  Milrem Robotics has now supplied more than 100 of its Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) hybrid UGVs including approximately 15 for service in Ukraine. Lessons learned are continuing to inform the platform’s development, according to the company.

• Air Warfare

  Italy doubles GCAP combat air funding to over $8 billion in latest defence budget

  18th October 2023

  The latest substantial funding, allocated from 2029 to 2037, underscores Italy's determination to rapidly adopt new technologies and cultivate a robust engineering culture. It also helps the country position itself as an equal partner in the trinational Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Japan and the UK.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ukraine shows combat-tested armament at DSEI 2023

  15th September 2023

  The Ukrainian pavilion at DSEI 2023, organised by state-owned Spetstechnoexport, exhibited several indigenous combat-tested systems, including UAVs, USVs and an evacuation vehicle.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden receives first batch of Patria 6x6 APCs

  27th October 2023

  The Patria 6x6 is being developed as a common base platform for the Estonian, Finnish and Latvian armed forces, all of which require a new protected mobility vehicle, with Sweden ordering an initial 20.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Warmate (2017) [Poland]

  Programme Background Order In November 2017, Poland ordered 100 sets of Warmate loitering munitions, each consisting of ten platforms, for a reported 100 million Polish Zloty ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) will provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It is intended to ...

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

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Slovakia - Second Batch]

  Programme Background Requirements The Slovakian Armed Forces are currently lumbered with an ageing inventory of legacy platforms that are not interoperable with its allies and ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Mini-UAVs [Czechia]

  Programme Background Tactical UCAV Halted The effort to acquire mini-UAVs is directly linked to the Czech MoD's now-delayed procurement programme for tactical or MALE drones, such as ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  6x6 APC (Philippines)

  Programme Background The Philippine Army has identified an urgent need for new wheeled APCs, after the Battle of Marawi exposed shortcomings in its existing fleet ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Slovakia - First Batch]

  Programme Background Requirements The Slovakian Armed Forces are currently lumbered with an ageing inventory of legacy platforms that are not interoperable with its allies and ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Armoured Vehicles (Ecuador)

  Programme Background In November 2022, the Ecuadorian Army confirmed it had placed an order with Elbit for 137 armoured vehicles required for military combat operations against ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Interim Air Assault Vehicle (Netherlands)

  Programme Background As part of its Defence-wide Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles (DVOW), the Dutch Army initiated the 12kN AASLT Air Assault Vehicle procurement programme ...

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

  Company Level Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (SUAS) Directed Requirement (DR) [US Army]

  Programme Background Requirement The US Army approved the Co-Level SUAS DR acquisition in June 2023 to supply Brigade Combat Teams with an "immediate, commercially available capability" to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Estonia CV9035NL

  Programme Background In its previous National Defense Development Plans, the Estonian MoD identified the need for a mechanised infantry brigade that would enable its forces ...

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

  Small VTOL UAV (Denmark)

  Programme Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMP-3F (Russia)

  Programme Background The Russian Navy's Naval Infantry are believed to have first tested the Kurganmashzavod BMP-3F in 2010, but at that time the service opted ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101 [Poland]

  According to the media reports, Airbus couldn't provide a competitive offer for the programme due to the offset requirements.  The deliveries were to be completed ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Piranha V

  264 of the Piranha Vs will be assigned to the Danish Army's 1st Brigade, following its reorganisation in January 2019. Each of its three armoured ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Major networking projects

  Army BCT Modernisation Program Increment 1

  The US Army brigade combat team (BCT) modernisation strategy will build a mix of mobile, networked BCTs that can gain leverage from mobility, protection, information ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Initial Maneuver - SHORAD

  Unveiled at AUSA 2019, Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) is a multipurpose platform, based on the Stryker IFV, which moves and maneuvers in ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CATS CTC

  The CATS Combat Training Centre (CTC) trains armed forces in simulated opposition. Features: direct-fire weapon effect simulation with laser engagement systems; area weapon effect simulation ...

• Construction vehicles

  HMEE

  The JCB High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE) was originally designed to support the US Army’s Stryker brigade combat teams and has been proven on operations ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  JAB

  The US Army is leading the Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) project to replace legacy M60A1-based bridge launchers in service with itself and USMC with an M1-based ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  Collective Combat Training

  Thales offers a global simulation and training approach that links together various simulators to perform the full spectrum of military operations (offence, defence, stability and ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  9K720 Iskander-M

  The Iskander-M (NATO reporting name: SS-26 'Stone') is a short-range ballistic missile. It was the second attempt by Russia to replace the Skud after their ...

• Land: battle management systems

  FüInfoSys Heer

  FüInfoSys Heer (Army Command and Control Information System) is the first common, integrated and mobile system of its kind in the German Army. It is ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  GAMER Deployable CTC

  Saab’s GAMER Deployable Combat Training Center (CTC) is an instrumented training system, enabling a military to train on home bases and deploy worldwide for training ...

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

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle

  The tracked M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (CFV), developed in parallel with the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), equips reconnaissance units within the US ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation-based Embedded Training Software Package

  This software package is installed in the Stryker Interim Armoured Vehicle (IAV), supporting US Army brigade combat team training requirements. It has been in service ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  EWPMT

  Raytheon’s Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT) is a US Army programme which began in 2014, designed to support electronic warfare officers and provide ...