• Defence Notes

  PLAAF restructures its Airborne Corps

  6th September 2017

  Greater clarity has begun to emerge about the radical restructuring of China’s airborne force – what was once referred to as the 15th Airborne Corps …

• Naval Warfare

  GSL delivers OPV to Sri Lankan Navy

  31st July 2017

  Goa Shipyard (GSL) delivered a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) to the Sri Lankan Navy on 22 July 2017. Designed in-house and built by GSL, …

• Land Warfare

  Uncertainty surrounds UK’s Warrior upgrade

  11th August 2017

  Lockheed Martin UK is hoping to secure a production contract for the UK’s Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) ‘as early as possible’ as uncertainty continues …

• Special Operations

  International interest spreads in C-130J-SOF variant

  15th August 2017

  Lockheed Martin’s proposed C-130J-SOF export variant will be tailored to different international operators’ requirements as interest in the type grows worldwide. According to Lockheed Martin, …

• Naval Warfare

  RDEL launches first two Indian OPVs

  28th July 2017

  Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) has launched the first two Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for the Indian Navy at its shipyard in Pipavav, …

• Land Warfare

  Indian SOEs to upgrade BMP-2 fleet

  26th July 2017

  India is modernising 693 examples of its licence-built BMP-2/2K Sarath infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), with the project valued at around $375 million. The programme, which …

• Land Warfare

  Orbital ATK demos MK44 Bushmaster Chain Gun

  30th June 2017

  Orbital ATK has successfully demonstrated its MK44 Bushmaster Chain Gun by firing a variety of both 30mm and 40mm ammunition during the company’s Bushmaster User …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Thales tests counter-UAS solution

  20th June 2017

  Thales has recently tested its counter-UAS solution and successfully used its jammer to neutralise small unmanned vehicles, the company confirmed during the Paris Air Show. …

• Naval Warfare

  Croatia gets new inshore patrol vessels

  26th June 2017

  Earlier this month Croatian shipyard Brodosplit launched the first inshore patrol vessel (IPV) of the five-unit batch ordered by the country’s coast guard service. The …

• Land Warfare

  Spain finally nears Pizarro conclusion

  30th June 2017

  The Spanish Army expects to begin qualification trials of its new Pizarro armoured engineering vehicle (AEV) by February 2019, with deliveries of all platforms likely …

• Defence Helicopter

  PLA to parade prowess in Hong Kong

  28th June 2017

  During President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Hong Kong on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the territory’s reversion to Chinese rule, the Hong …

• Naval Warfare

  CCG inducts first MA60 patrol aircraft

  26th June 2017

  The first MA60H maritime patrol aircraft entered service with the China Coast Guard (CCG) during a formal ceremony on 19 June. The aircraft will be …

• Land Warfare

  NGU receives new batch of BTR-3DA

  12th June 2017

  Ukroboronprom’s Kyiv Armored Plant has transferred a new batch of BTR-3DA to the National Guard of Ukraine following successful completion of acceptance tests. The operational …

• Land Warfare

  Indonesia inducts BTR-4M… but looking elsewhere

  29th May 2017

  Spets Techno Export announced that the Indonesian Marine Corps has officially started using an initial batch of five Ukrainian-built BTR-4M 8x8 APCs that were delivered …

• Land Warfare

  Russian airborne forces receive new armour

  5th June 2017

  Russia's airborne troops, a highly-mobile independent and elite branch of country’s military, continues to take delivery of new armoured vehicles.  In April 2017, BMD-4M IFVs …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (May 2019 FMS)

  Also included are 28 M230 30mm automatic chain guns, AN/AVR-2B laser detecting sets, AN/APR-39 radar signal detecting sets, AN/AVS-6 night vision goggles, M299 Hellfire missile ...

• OPVs

  Viana do Castelo-class (Batch II - NPO3S) [Portugal]

  Programme Background Requirements The Viana do Castelo class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) are used for maritime patrol and surveillance, fisheries protection, SAR, anti-drug and anti-arms trafficking, illegal ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E - Kuwait

  Programme Background According to the US State Department, the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  R600A (RTMC)

  Programme Background The Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) has a requirement for new amphibious APCs that have higher capacity and offer greater protection than its ...

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

  Iron Cavalry Project

  Programme Background The Taiwan MND has identified the need for a new 4x4 armoured reconnaissance vehicle to replace HMMWVs and M113s utilised by reconnaissance units ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Air Force)

  Programme Background The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede them to ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors, Patrol boats

  Gun Boats (Pakistan)

  Programme Background Timeline The first steel cutting for these boats occurred on 6 October 2022. The PN is seeking 20 vessels; the first one should ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (NWJFAC) (India)

  Programme Background Requirements The Indian Navy is seeking replacements for a large proportion of its 19 46-49m-long waterjet-powered fast attack craft, several of which are approaching ...

• OPVs

  OPVs Procurement [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirements According to the RFI issued in late 2022, the Hellenic Coast Guard is seeking to procure two new OPVs. The vessels are ...

• Patrol boats

  Fast Patrol Vessels Procurement [India]

  Programme Background Requirements In January 2023, the Indian MoD issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) entailing the acquisition of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Wheeled Armoured Vehicles (Sri Lanka)

  Programme Background Requirement The Sri Lankan army operates armoured vehicles from several countries, with Russia and China being its biggest suppliers. Its wheeled APC inventory ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Vilkas [Lithuania - Second Batch]

  Programme Background  Lithuania's Boxers are manufactured by the ARTEC production lines in Germany and the Netherlands. KMW is responsible for producing 56 of the vehicles ...

• Frigates

  FFX Batch III - 1 [South Korea]

  Programme Background The new Chungnam-class (FFX Batch III) will consist of six new improved anti-aircraft detection vessels to replace the ageing escort and patrol ships ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV - Additional Order 1 (US - USMC)

  Programme Background The Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) programme is intended to provide a replacement for the USMC's fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7 (AAV7) tracked ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Vilkas [Lithuania - Additional Units]

  Programme Background  Lithuania's Boxers are manufactured by the ARTEC production lines in Germany and the Netherlands. KMW is responsible for producing 56 of the vehicles ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval guns

  RapidFire T40AA

  The RapidFire T40AA is a 40mm naval gun system developed jointly by Nexter and Thales. The system was unveiled for the first time at Euronaval ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  MFGL

  According to Rheinmetall, the Magazine-Fed Grenade Launcher (MFGL), previously known as Hydra, is the world’s first self-loading 40mm shoulder-fired GL. It is being developed for ...

• Crew-served grenade launchers

  LG3A

  The LG3A is an improved variant of the LG3, with an added muzzle-setting device to fire Norinco’s BGL3A airburst ammunition and similar rounds produced by ...

• Cannons

  Venom 30mm

  The AEI Systems Venom 30mm gun is a derivative of the Aden 30mm and is a gas operated, electrically primed revolver gun. The configuration is ...

• Cannons

  40 CTAS

  CTA International has developed the 40 mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (40 CTAS) for integration into armoured vehicles for either new build or systems upgrades. ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Teber-30 Two-Man Turret

  The Teber-30 is a medium-calibre two-man turret designed for armoured combat vehicles. It is day/night capable with an onboard fire control computer and a two-axis ...

• Self-propelled guns

  RapidFire

  Thales unveiled the RapidFire, intended to protect both mobile forces and key assets/fixed points, at the Eurosatory 2012 exhibition. The system is designed to exploit ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Hitfist 25-30mm

  The Hitfist 25-30mm is a two-person, power-operated turret designed for installation on wheeled or tracked IFVs. The main armament can be either an Oerlikon 25mm ...

• Static guns

  Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk 3

  Rheinmetall unveiled its 35mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk 3, a remotely controlled, autonomous, network-capable air defence system, at the June 2016 Eurosatory exhibition.The weapon is ...

• Cannons

  M230LF Chain Gun

  The 30mm M230LF automatic cannon is a version of the 30mm cannon featured on the AH-64 Apache helicopter and is a member of the Orbital ...

• Assault rifles/carbines/shotguns

  K11

  Similar in concept to the US Army's cancelled XM29 Objective Individual Combat Weapon, the dual-barrel K11 airburst weapon system combines a 5.56mm assault rifle with ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  C-UAS Solution

  The C-UAS Solution uses goniometry, radar technologies and various sensors to detect and remove UAS from the air. So far, the solution has been proven effective against ...

• Airborne rockets - unguided

  Aculeus HE-IMP and HE-MM

  TDA's Aculeus HE-IMP is an unguided, high-explosive impact rocket. The Aculeus HE-MM is a high-explosive, multi-mode rocket designed for the destruction/neutralisation of elements entrenched behind ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KF31 Lynx

  Rheinmetall unveiled the KF31, the first member of its Lynx modular tracked IFV family, at Eurosatory 2016. The 38t KF31 (KF stands for Kettenfahrzeug, the ...

• Naval guns

  OTO Marlin-WS 30 mm

  The Marlin-WS 30mm is a small calibre naval gun system characterised by a modular architecture. It is manufactured by Italian Leonardo. It is equipped with the ...