• Land Warfare

  Exigent procurement disrupts rifles to be made in India

  27th August 2021

  India is taking so long to set up indigenous rifle production that it has been forced to buy directly from overseas.

• Naval Warfare

  LPDs and MCMVs ahoy! India launches RfIs

  26th August 2021

  Once thought to be further down the priority list, the Indian Navy is once again relaunching efforts for LPDs and MCMVs.

• Land Warfare

  Italy to upgrade army support capabilities

  17th August 2021

  The latest Italian defence multi-year plan has identified key areas across the Army's support capabilities that need to be modernised.

• Training

  IDEF 2021: Q3D launches flight sim training

  17th August 2021

  Quantum3D is now making available simulator flight training on a number of fixed- and rotary-wing simulators through its parent company, Havelsan.

• Land Warfare

  PLA upgrades its heavy 155mm SPH inventory

  2nd September 2021

  The PLZ-05 155mm SPH in Chinese army service has received a makeover.

• Air Warfare

  Stingray set for carrier test

  3rd August 2021

  If it stays on track for IOC in 2025, the Stingray unmanned refuelling aircraft will have gone from contract to carrier in under seven years.

• Air Warfare

  DynCorp to aid ACES

  29th July 2021

  Task order from USAF covers maintenance for T-1A, T-6A and T-38C aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Russian Armed Forces receives another batch of Arctic tanks

  27th July 2021

  Omsktransmash has completed a delivery of its T-80BVM as part of an ongoing Russian modernisation programme.

• Naval Warfare

  SINKEX demonstrates USN’s ‘strategic overmatch’

  24th August 2021

  As part of Large Scale Exercise 21, on 15 August, US joint forces launched multiple missiles and torpedoes from air, land and sea at a decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate.

• Training

  Saab ships second Red Hawk airframe section to Boeing

  27th July 2021

  On completion of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase of the T-7A trainer aircraft programme for the USAF, Saab will undertake production of aft airframe sections as its new US facility.

• Training

  Indonesia and Thailand eye T-50 repeat orders

  22nd July 2021

  It has been a while since KAI received any orders for the T-50 jet, but a couple of deals are on the cards.

• Air Warfare

  Chinese UAVs fly near Japan as new models abound

  1st September 2021

  New and innovative UAV designs continue to flood out of Chinese companies and institutes, while the PLA is getting bolder about flying them farther afield too.

• Land Warfare

  USMC recce capability moves forward

  12th August 2021

  After earlier efforts to replace the USMC's LAV-25 8x8 wheeled vehicle it has embarked on the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) programme to develop new platforms to choose from. However, the USMC is also looking at an alternative option to modify the ACV as well.

• Training

  Training capability jumps as TH-73A arrives

  10th August 2021

  The first of an initial batch of 32 TH-73A Thrasher training helicopters has arrived at NAS Whiting Field to provide the USN with a much-improved training capability.

• Air Warfare

  Check or raise? (Opinion)

  13th August 2021

  Sukhoi has ambitious plans for Checkmate, its new fighter aircraft design. However, questions remain over whether the company will be able to achieve its export goals, especially considering the poor track record of its previous fifth-generation jet.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Adaptable Aerial Platforms (AAP) [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  KF-21 Loyal Wingman [South Korea]

  Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea’s Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and F-5E/F fighters in the ROKAF. ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Embarked VTOL UAV [South Korea]

  Background VTOL Development In January 2024, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it would commence development of a VTOL-capable rotary-wing UAV to be ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Camcopter S-300 [South Korea]

  Programme Background Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) On 18 January 2023, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Northop Grumman at a ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90M Proryv (New-Build)

  The first contract for the T-90M was disclosed in August 2017. Comprising 30 tanks in total, it covered the upgrade of 20 T-90As to T-90M ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  T-15 Armata (Contracted)

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  T-15 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Main battle tanks

  Iraq T-90S MBT (First Batch)

  Programme Background Iraq has reportedly been interested in acquiring Russian equipment such as the T-90S MBT as far back as 2012, but the signing of ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata (Contracted)

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Trainer

  T-4 Replacement [Japan]

  Programme Background The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has been using the T-4 as an intermediate trainer jet since 1988, but now the Acquisition, Technology ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90SA

  Since the delivery of the latest batch of T-90SA tanks to Algeria has not been officially acknowledged, no details concerning the contract have been disclosed. ...

• Main battle tanks

  Pakistan Modernised T-55 MBTs

  The modernised T-55s that Yugoimport are delivering to Pakistan are understood to be surplus vehicles that were withdrawn from Serbian Army service during the early ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-X / T-7A Red Hawk [USAF]

  Background On 27 September 2018, it was announced that the Boeing-Saab team had been awarded a contract for the programme. The initial contract was worth $813 million ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini

  MUM-T

  The Military Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) is a UAS in development by Korean Aerospace Industries. Showcased at Seoul ADEX 2021, the MUM-T can be launched from the ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Demogorgon

  In late October 2021, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded Kratos Unnamed Systems Division an initial $17.68 million 12-month cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop an Off-Board Sensing ...

• Loitering munitions

  Air Launched Effect (ALE)

  The Air-Launched Effect (ALE) is an in-development uncrewed platform from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Shown at IDEX 2023, it is set to come in two variants, one ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Arrow

  The Arrow is a supersonic prototype UAV developed by Singapore-based Kelley Aerospace. According to the manufacturer, the 16.8t prototype will be operated as a conventional UAV, ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Uncrewed Checkmate

  At the Dubai Airshow 2021, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the parent company of Checkmate manufacturer Sukhoi Design Bureau, announced its intention to manufacture an uncrewed version of ...

• Military UAS - small

  Koios

  Callen-Lenz manufactures the Koios, a small UAS that is available in VTOL and non-VTOL variants.  Designed for the civil and military market, as standard, the ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Defender

  The Defender is a jet-powered uncrewed escort aircraft built by GA-ASI. The primary goal of the UAV is to protect high-value airborne assets, such as refuelling ...

• Land: handheld NV devices, Land: handheld day observation/surveillance and targeting systems, Weapon sights for night use (image intensifiers)

  MUM-14

  The Multi-Use Mini-Monocular (MUM-14) is a modular, passive NVD designed to maintain situation awareness in a range of low-light conditions, utilising a single Gen III ...

• Data links

  Micro TMA

  Thales Micro TMA is a high-rate datalink designed for uncrewed platforms and video streaming applications from aircraft. It provides command and control functions as well ...

• Light UGVs

  X Series

  The X Series is a family of UGVs developed by the UK's DCE. Utilising a modular design, the X Series can be configured for a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Mighty Hornet IV

  Unveiled in September 2025, the Mighty Hornet IV is a development of the MQM-178 target drone designed for attack missions. Kratos and the National Chung-Shan Institute ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MUCCA

  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is developing the MUCCA, a medium cooperative uncrewed fighter to potentially operate alongside the Republic of Korea Air Force's (ROKAF) KF-21 ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Havoc 8x8 RCV

  The Havoc 8x8 Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) is a heavy UGV currently being developed by Milrem. It is expected to enter production in 2028 or ...

• Air: aerial targets

  BQM-34 Firebee

  The BQM-34 Firebee is an uncrewed aerial target system that the USAF and USN have used for more than 50 years. The primary mission of ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Terrex 2

  The Terrex 2 is a larger, heavier version of ST Engineering's Terrex 8x8 armoured vehicle. Available in both amphibious and non-amphibious configurations, it is capable ...