• Digital Battlespace

  Viasat awarded US Air Force IDIQ contract

  22nd January 2020

  Viasat has received an IDIQ contract worth up to $90 million from the US Air Force (USAF) for Battlefield Awareness Targeting System—Dismounted (BATS-D) handheld Link …

• Land Warfare

  Australia selects Spike LR2​ missile system

  5th February 2020

  The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has selected the Rafael Spike LR2 missile system as its new Long Range Direct Fire Support Weapon capability. To be …

• Air Warfare

  Acroamatics to support AARGM programme

  24th January 2020

  Acroamatics Telemetry Systems has been selected by Northrop Grumman to deliver multiple Model 3022AP Portable Multi-function Telemetry Processing Systems in support of the Advanced Anti-Radiation …

• Defence Helicopter

  Battle of the CH-47F vs CH-53K heats up in Israel

  30th January 2020

  The Israeli Air Force's (IAF's) quest to find a replacement for its ageing CH-53 Yas'ur heavy-lift transport helicopter took a significant step forward with the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman sonar to be tested on Iver4 UUV

  4th February 2020

  A Northrop Grumman synthetic aperture sonar is to be integrated onto L3Harris Technologies’ Iver4 Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) for testing, the company announced on 3 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman's BACN contract extended

  23rd January 2020

  Northrop Grumman Mission Systems’ contract for Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) payload operation and support has been extended by the US Air Force Life Cycle …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneShield progresses on xTechSearch programme

  28th January 2020

  DroneShield will advance to Phase III of the US Army’s Expeditionary Technology Search (xTechSearch) programme, the company announced on 27 January. The company’s selection follows …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rafael’s Drone Dome intercepts targets with new laser technology

  18th February 2020

  Rafael has completed a demonstration of its Drone Dome C-UAS in which it intercepted several manoeuvring UAVs using its hard-kill laser beam director. The C-UAS …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky receives CH-53K​ support modification

  21st February 2020

  Sikorsky has received additional funding for its work on the US Navy’s CH-53K programme. The company has received a $40 million contract modification to provide …

• Training

  RAAF completes US-based F-35A training mission

  20th January 2020

  Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35A Lightning II pilots, maintainers and aircraft have begun returning to Australia from Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Kenya to receive MD-530F​ helicopters in US FMS

  24th January 2020

  The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) is to receive six MD-530F helicopters under a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The programme was announced by the …

• Land Warfare

  Spike plugs the Suwalki Gap

  2nd March 2020

  The 14th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of the Polish Army recently concluded training and certification in the use of the Spike LR long-range ATGM system. Stationed …

• Defence Helicopter

  CMV-22B Osprey​ in first flight operations

  22nd January 2020

  The first CMV-22B Osprey aircraft has carried out its first flight operations at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. The aircraft, built by Boeing and Bell Textron …

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Marines train alongside Norwegian stealth corvette

  4th February 2020

  Royal Marines taking part in Arctic training in Norway have carried out an exercise alongside a Norwegian stealth missile ship. The exercise in the fjords …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon awarded FAB-T contract modification

  21st January 2020

  Raytheon has received a contract modification for its work on the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) production contract. The $36.8 million modification was …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390 [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirement The aircraft deliveries were scheduled to start by the end of 2016 and continue over a period of ten years. However,  the first ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-130H Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Sweden has five C-130H aircraft (designated Tp-84) and one KC-130H. Two C-130Es bought in the 1960s have retired, but the six H ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Chile]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  H145M [Brazil]

  Background  Brazilian leadership announced in February 2022 that the Sabre Mil Mi-35M Hind-E attack helicopters were being retired from active service. This decision came as a ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39E/F Gripen [Brazil]

  Background In 2016, Gripen’s Project and Development Center was opened in Sao Paulo to allow Sweedish and Brazillian engineers to work together in the Gripen ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Colombia]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated gross ...

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

  Hermes 900 (5) [Brazil]

  Background First three batches (2014-2024) Across three purchases, Defence Insight estimates that Brazil has acquired five Hermes 900 UAVs. In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one ...

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

  Hermes 900 (1-4) [Brazil]

  Background First batch (2014) In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one Hermes 900 UAV to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The drone is called the RQ-900 in Brazilian ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 add-on [Brazil]

  Programme Background  In 2014 Brazil signed a contracted for two additional C-295 SAR platforms with the option to acquire one additional platform. In 2018, reports ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles

  MAR-1

  The MAR-1 is a Brazilian air-to-surface anti-radiation missile (ARM) developed by Mectron in collaboration with the Aerospace Technology and Science Department (DCTA) of the Brazilian ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Harpia

  Described as the UAV with the most onboard technology in Latin America, Harpia is a multifunctional fixed-wing Brazilian drone developed by Advanced Technologies Security & Defence.  The Uruguayan ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  EMB-312 Tucano

  The EMB-312 Tucano (Brazilian designation T-27) is a trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Embraer to meet the training requirements of the Brazilian Air ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  TPTS

  Tactical Procedures Training Simulators (TPTS), operating with SWARM software, can be used to provide most core training elements to pilots or offload training tasks from ...

• Guided munitions

  SMKB (Smart-MK-Bomb)

  The Smart-MK-Bomb, or the SMKB, is a precision guidance kit developed by Mectron and designed to turn Mk 82 and Mk 83 bombs into guided munitions.

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

  Albatroz Vortex

  The Albatroz Vortex from Stella Tecnologia is a development of the company's Albatroz UAV.  The key differentiator is that the Vortex is fitted with an ATJR ...

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

  Condor

  The Condor, or Atobá XR, is an in-development MALE-class UAV from Stella Technologia.  The development of the multi-role is tied to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which has ...

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Arkhe Mission & Combat

  Launched in 2017, Atech's Arkhe Mission & Combat solutions offer a variety of solutions enabling operator to conduct missions from planning to execution and debriefing. It ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390/C-390 Millennium

  The KC-390 is a high-wing, twin-turbofan, T-tail design intended to meet the needs of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) for a tanker/transport aircraft. Developed and ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skyward

  The SkyWard system is an advanced Infrared Search and Track (IRST) solution developed for next-generation airborne platforms, including 5th-generation fighter aircraft.  Designed with modularity in ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Saber M60

  The Saber M60 is a low-altitude air-defence radar developed by the Brazilian Army's CTEx (Army Technology Centre) in collaboration with Bradar, part of Embraer Defence ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  RBS 70 system

  The RBS 70 was developed in the 1970s to meet the Swedish Army’s requirement for a low-cost, easy-to-use MANPADS which could function in extreme climatic ...