• Defence Notes

  France favours air force in 2023 defence budget

  11th October 2022

  Galvanised by the Russia-Ukraine war, French military spending plans for 2023 focus on fixed-wing aviation.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing slashes number of defence business units after heavy losses

  18th November 2022

  After reporting significant losses and delays on major programmes, Boeing has announced the consolidation of its defence divisions.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy modifies Over-the-Horizon Weapon System missile deal for Raytheon

  8th August 2022

  OTH-WS is intended to provide a long range anti-ship, over-the-horizon offensive anti-surface warfare capability to USN.

• Digital Battlespace

  infiniDome unveils latest iteration of anti-jamming technology for drones

  24th October 2022

  Israeli company infiniDome has released a new anti-jamming system for GPS-guided platforms. GPSdome 2 is a small-form-factor device intended for use on small/medium UAS and loitering munitions.

• Land Warfare

  Akeron MP test firings demonstrate BLoS engagement capabilities

  7th October 2022

  Recent demonstrations of Akeron MP in Cyprus marked a ‘major step in the definition of an initial operational concept’ for a European BLoS capability, says MBDA.

• Naval Warfare

  Can the US build three destroyers a year?

  13th January 2023

  In the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the US funded procurement of three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers a year, but can industry achieve that goal?

• Naval Warfare

  Delays hit Finland’s Squadron 2020 corvette project

  27th September 2022

  Finland's naval modernisation effort faces delays as its new corvette programme moves to the right.

• Naval Warfare

  Everything you need to know about France's FDI frigate

  3rd November 2022

  France's first Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) ship, Amiral Ronarc'h, is the first of eight being built at Naval Group's Lorient shipyard for the French and Greek navies.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy orders AESA radar items for Super Hornets, Growlers

  27th September 2022

  Raytheon is providing USN aircraft with components for the AN/APG-79 AESA radar.

• Naval Warfare

  Secretive China enhances its SSBN fleet and weaponry

  22nd November 2022

  There is growing evidence that production of new nuclear-powered submarines is proceeding in China, as well as a startling declaration that new submarine-launched nuclear-tipped missiles are already in service.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy turns to Raytheon for continued F/A-18 radar support

  9th September 2022

  Raytheon will carry on repairing AN/APG-65 and AN/APG-73 radar systems for the USN.

• Air Warfare

  TF-X fighter prototype moves to final assembly but still no final decision on jet engine

  24th November 2022

  The prototype of the Turkish fifth-generation fighter jet TF-X is set to fly by 2025, but there are challenges Ankara needs to overcome before production can take off at scale.

• Land Warfare

  Polish air defence initiatives pass twin milestones

  5th October 2022

  MBDA UK signs framework agreement for Pilica+, while Poland receives first interim Mała Narew SHORAD system with UK-made missiles.

• Land Warfare

  Army-2022: Pantsir air defence system gains anti-drone capability

  23rd August 2022

  As part of a range of enhancements to the Pantsir-S1 air defence system, a new short-range anti-drone missile was shown for the first time at Russia's Army-2022 exhibition.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania stocks up on Saab RBS 70 missiles

  26th October 2022

  The Lithuanian Defence Materiel Agency has signed a four-year contract with Saab for additional RBS 70 air defence missiles.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale [France]

  Programme Background Rafale F4 is the latest configuration of the Rafale fighter jet family. New functions will also be developed to improve the aircraft’s capabilities ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R (Australia)

  Programme Background Requirement The RAN already has 24 MH-60R Seahawks (the last delivered in September 2016), so this represents a 50% increase in fleet size. ...

• ISR/special mission

  ISTAR Aircraft (South Korea)

  Programme Background South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration stated that Seoul is planning to procure additional aircraft to minimize potential surveillance gaps amid growing security ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project Sea 129 Phase 5 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Project Sea 129 Phase 5 was intended to acquire a new ISR UAS capability for the RAN. The aircraft was required to perform ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  Programme Background The E-6 Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) Recapitalisation Programme (E-XX) provides for air vehicle replacement and mission systems modernization to augment and eventually ...

• Tanks

  M1A2T Abrams

  Programme Background Taiwan has had a long-standing desire to attain M1A1 or M1A2 Abrams from the US in order to replace elderly M60A3 TTS and CM11 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  On 19 December 2021, Australia launched an RfT (Request for Tender) for the Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (LMV-M) requirement under Project Land 8710 Phase 1A. The closing date ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  On 19 December 2021, Australia launched an RfT (Request for Tender) for the Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (LMV-M) requirement under Project Land 8710 Phase 1A. The closing date ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Dreadnought Class (Successor Programme)

  Programme Background Requirements The Dreadnought-class, prior to being named in October 2016, was known as the Successor programme, which was approved by the government in May ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 [Italy]

  Programme Background Initial Procurement Italy submitted a $330 million FMS request through the Defence Security Cooperation Agency for four MQ-9A aircraft, four GCS and five ...

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

  Loyal Wingman (Forecast) [Germany]

  Programme Background Need Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, stated in Jue 2024 that the "German Air Force has expressed a clear need for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) (FCAS) [Germany]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which ...

• Destroyers

  DDX Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Destroyers are fundamental to Italy's blue water fleet and will be required to be capable of projecting capability at sea from the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado Replacement (F-35A) [Germany]

  Programme Background In March 2020, it emerged that the German government was considering  30 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to replace 45 nuclear-capable Tornados, although contracts have yet ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  ESTL

  The Enhanced Survivability Technology (ESTL) is an integrated self-protection pod with missile approach warning (MAWS) to counter RF and IR threats. The ESTL pod consists ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  RIM-66 Standard-1MR

  The RIM-66 Standard-1MR is a medium-range surface-to-air missile that can also take on the role of an anti-ship missile. It was developed as part of ...

• Self-propelled missile systems

  NASAMS/NASAMS II/NASAMS III

  The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), previously known as the Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, was originally developed by Kongsberg and Raytheon to meet ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2

  The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2 is a short-range, ship-launched missile designed primarily to defend naval vessels against incoming anti-ship missiles and aerial ...

• Sea: weapon training

  SM-1 and SM-2 Standard Missile and Harpoon Missile with Guided Missile Launcher Mk 13 Mod 4 Simulator

  Textron's SM-1 and SM-2 Standard Missile and Harpoon Missile simulator simulates a guided missile launching system and guided missile launcher, Mk 13 Mod 4, in ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  FIM-92 Stinger

  The FIM-92 Stinger, passive-guided MANPADS, was developed by General Dynamics to meet the requirements of the US Army to defence against low-flying threats. It replaced ...

• Multipurpose missiles

  BGM-71 TOW

  The BGM-71 Tube-launched Optically tracked Wire-guided (TOW) missile entered US Army service in 1970. As well as being integrated on vehicles and helicopters, TOW can be ...

• Surface-to-air missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  RIM-174 Standard ERAM SM-6 Block I/IA

  The SM-6 (RIM-174 Standard ERAM) is a surface-to-air supersonic missile launched from cruisers and destroyers, capable of successfully engaging crewed and uncrewed, fixed- or rotary-wing ...

• Air-to-air missiles, Surface-to-air missiles

  AIM-120 AMRAAM

  The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) is the main all-weather, all-environment radar-guided, air-to-air missile developed jointly by the USAF and USN. The AMRAAM has seen ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  SPY-6(V)3

  The SPY-6(V)3 EASR has three fixed faces, each with nine Radar Modular Assemblies (RMAs). The SPY-6(V)3 will be installed on Ford-class aircraft carriers and Constellation-class ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Patriot SAM system

  The MIM-104 Phased Array Tracking to Intercept of Target (Patriot) is an American Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system designed for air-defence duties. The original Standard MIM-104A  ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-3

  AN/SPY-3 is an X-band multifunction radar developed by Raytheon.  The primary modes for AN/SPY-3 include horizon search/track while scan, surface search and navigation, periscope detection, ...

• Air-to-air missiles

  AIM-92 Stinger

  The Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS) system, also known as the AIM-92 Stinger, is developed from the shoulder-launched FIM-92 Stinger and uses the same Stinger-RMP (Reprogrammable Microprocessor) ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Tamir

  Tamir is a short-range, surface-to-air missile developed for Israel's Iron Dome air defence system. Each missile firing unit, carried on 8x8 heavy-duty trucks, consists of ...

• Airborne rockets - guided

  Talon LGR

  Raytheon developed the Talon Laser-Guided Rocket (LGR), a semi-active laser guidance and control kit that connects directly to the front of 70mm unguided rockets. Raytheon ...