• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insight: UAS – in the wrong hands

  22nd April 2019

  The growing supply of low-cost UAS has increased concerns around the potential threat of the systems in the hands of terrorists, with a range of …

• Digital Battlespace

  IAI launches Opal system

  19th April 2019

  Israel Aerospace Industries has launched its new Opal system for establishing real time connectivity and data sharing between different platforms - including manned and unmanned …

• Defence Helicopter

  L3 MAS to sustain Canadian Chinooks

  24th April 2019

  L3 MAS has been awarded a five-year contract option to continue providing support for the Canadian Department of National Defence’s CH-147F Chinook helicopter fleet, the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Additional E-2D aircraft for US Navy

  17th April 2019

  Northrop Grumman has received a contract modification to deliver 24 additional E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to the US Navy, the company announced on 11 April. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Mercury Systems acquires new companies

  25th April 2019

  Mercury Systems has announced acquisitions of the Athena Group and Syntonic Microwave, the company announced on 18 April. The Athena Group is a Gainesville, Florida-based …

• Naval Warfare

  HII to build US Navy’s LPD 30

  29th March 2019

  Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $1.47 billion contract from the US Navy for the detail design and construction of amphibious transport …

• Training

  Kratos celebrates completion of first MQM-178 Firejet

  24th April 2019

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has produced the first MQM-178 Firejet aerial target at its newly opened production facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2019: Collins Aerospace’s civil avionic solutions aid military missions

  1st May 2019

  The application of Collins Aerospace’s Pro Line Fusion avionics system is reducing crew workloads and being applied to military aircraft with ease due to its …

• Digital Battlespace

  Hughes awarded PTES work

  18th April 2019

  Hughes Network Systems has received a contract from Boeing to develop mission management, system control, networking and ground hub capabilities. The company will participate in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2019: Siemens engineering new propulsion possibilities for Go Fly X

  29th April 2019

  Aviation motor manufacturer Siemens is currently developing new strategies to produce greater thrust, in partnership with US aviation start-up Heka, as part of the Boeing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kongsberg, MicroPilot integrate technologies

  24th April 2019

  Kongsberg Geospatial’s IRIS UxS fleet control station (FCS) has been integrated with MicroPilot’s MP2x28 series autopilots, the company announced on 16 April. The integration will …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea Giraffe ordered for US Navy vessels

  22nd April 2019

  Saab’s Sea Giraffe AMB naval radar has been ordered by General Dynamics for the US Navy's newest Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Honeywell's T55 engine powers SB>1 Defiant

  23rd April 2019

  Honeywell's T55 turboshaft engines have been successfully tested on the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant demonstrator, the company announced on 15 April. The engines lifted the SB>1 …

• Military Logistics

  USAF orders AAR 463L pallets

  22nd March 2019

  AAR Mobility Systems has received a $10.8 million order from the US Air Force for the production of 463L cargo pallets, the company announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Schiebel receives EN 9100 certification

  27th March 2019

  Schiebel received the EN 9100 certification for quality management systems in the aviation, space and defence industry on 1 March. Throughout the civil and military …

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 ...