• Defence Notes

  Analysis: China’s AI revolution threatens US

  12th December 2017

  A new report from the Washington-based Center for a New American Security raised the alert level of the US defence community over China’s rise as …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pakistan and USMC to procure AH-1Z gun turrets

  18th December 2017

  The Pakistan government and USMC are set to procure an arsenal of 41 A/A49E-7 (V4) gun turrets for their respective Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter fleets. Contractor General …

• Defence Helicopter

  First Apaches touch down in Indonesia

  19th December 2017

  The Indonesian Army’s (TNI-AD) first three Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters arrived in country on 18 December. Indonesia ordered eight of the attack helicopters under …

• Military Logistics

  RNZN begins two-year tanker capability gap

  18th December 2017

  The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) retired its solitary tanker, HMNZS Endeavour, at Devonport Naval Base on 15 December. This leaves the navy without a …

• Defence Notes

  Doubt cast over UK MoD efficiencies

  18th December 2017

  The UK Defence Committee has expressed its lack of confidence in the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) ability to realise extensive efficiency targets essential for the …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy's new tactical data link finally moving forward

  15th December 2017

  BAE Systems is preparing for the preliminary design review of its Network Tactical Common Data Link (NTCDL) system, currently being developed for the US Navy, …

• Digital Battlespace

  GDA 2017: Leonardo readies Captor-E next phase, Kuwaiti Eurofighter assembly

  11th December 2017

  Leonardo is preparing to begin the next testing phase for its next-generation Captor-E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which will eventually equip the Eurofighter …

• Military Logistics

  New AFFVs for Canadian armed forces

  8th December 2017

  The Royal Canadian Air Force 8 Wing Trenton has become the first location to receive new Aerial Fire Fighting Vehicles (AFFVs) from Aréo-Feu, it was …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MANET radios integrated on new US Army UGV

  13th December 2017

  Persistent Systems has teamed up with Endeavor Robotics to provide its mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology as part of the US Army’s Man-Transportable Robotic …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norway opens autonomous vessel test-bed

  12th December 2017

  A new autonomous shipping test-bed has been opened adjacent to Kongsberg Maritime’s Horten facility in Norway to support the development of new solutions for autonomous …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mexican Navy receives final Panthers

  8th December 2017

  Airbus Helicopters has delivered the final two AS565 MBe Panther helicopters to the Mexican Navy during a delivery ceremony in Marignane, France, the company announced …

• Training

  Bundeswehr receives driver training trucks

  5th December 2017

  Rheinmetall has transferred the first of 35 driver training trucks to BwFuhrparkService, the fleet service provider for the Bundeswehr, in Oldenburg, Germany, the company announced …

• Land Warfare

  Al-Khalid production lags behind capacity

  12th December 2017

  Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), the Pakistani state-owned manufacturer of heavy weapons, is producing around 18 Al-Khalid-I MBTs annually, but this figure is nowhere near its …

• Military Logistics

  Philippines repeats orders for Kia vehicles

  8th December 2017

  The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) is adding further Kia Motors tactical vehicles and trucks to its inventory via documentation released this month. An …

• Military Logistics

  HMMWV pilot safety upgrade complete

  12th December 2017

  Ricardo Defense Systems (RDS) and Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT) have announced the successful completion of their pilot project to retrofit ten Michigan National Guard …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BTR-MDM Rakushka

  Programme Background Since 2016, 11 battalion sets of BTR-MDMs are known to have been delivered to units of the VDV in addition to 12 platforms ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-4M

  Programme Background Since 2017, 11 battalion sets of the BMD-4M have been delivered to units of the VDV in addition to 27 located at the ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Wolverine / Honeybadger [US]

  Programme Background During the Modern Day Marine (MDM) exhibition, held in Washington between 10-12 May 2022, XTEND announced it would supply hundreds of Wolverine platforms ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) (Tranche 2) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range/Short Endurance (SR/SE) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Harop [Azerbaijan]

  Programme Background According to a December 2020 report by the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Azerbaijan acquired an estimated 50 Harop loitering munitions ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z Romania

  The Romanian MoD has a long-standing requirement for new rotary platforms, including troop transport, supply and attack configurations. According to the the Military Strategy document, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Piranha V

  264 of the Piranha Vs will be assigned to the Danish Army's 1st Brigade, following its reorganisation in January 2019. Each of its three armoured ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Data links

  Data links | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Paraguay VAMTAC ST5

  Programme Background Paraguay's Joint Task Force is in need of new armoured vehicles that can provide sufficient protection against the small arms, mines and IEDs ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28UB - Russia

  Programme BackgroundThe Russian MoD plans to acquire up to 60 Mi-28UB aircraft for the Russian Air Force by mid-2020s. Moscow signed a contract with Russian Helicopters ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BTR-MDM

  The BTR-MDM Rakushka is an amphibious tracked armoured vehicle developed by Kurganmashzavod to meet the Russian Airborne Forces' (VDV) need for a new air-droppable APC. ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MDM-HF

  The MDM-3001, MDM-2201 and MDM-2501 multi-mode HF data modems provide single-tone (serial) HF data communications capability in accordance with the requirements of MIL-STD-188-110A (para 5.3). ...

• Data links

  Link 11 DTS

  The programmable Data Terminal Set (DTS) uses real-time processor architectures and signal processing algorithms. It is designed for controlled network operation in a Link 11 ...

• Data links

  MDM-2X02N

  The MDM-2X02N is a tactical data link modem that combines the functionalities of a Link 11 DTS and Link 22 signal processor controller (SPC) into ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MDM-Q9604

  Collins Aerospace’s MDM-Q9604 high-speed, high-data-rate HF modem is capable of transmitting data over a standard 3KHz single sideband at 9,600b/s or a 6kHz ISB at ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-4M

  The BMD-4M is based on the BMD-4, which has been in the Russian Army's airborne forces (VDV) service since 2004. It was developed to provide an ...

• Military - USVs

  SeaFly-01

  The SeaFly-01 USV, developed by Beijing Sifang Automation, was showcased at the 11th Zhuhai Airshow in China in November 2016. Phase one tests of the ...

• Military - USVs

  High-Speed Intercept Boat

  Poly Technologies displayed its High-Speed Intercept Boat at DSA in Malaysia in 2016. 

• Military - UUVs

  Phantom T5

  The Phantom T5 UUV was introduced in 2016. The ROV incorporates many of the old Phantom characteristics in a smaller system, with vectored thrusters added. 

• Galaxy R8700

  The Altavian Galaxy R8700 is an octocopter UAV designed for inspection of mining, construction, urban and small project sites. It was unveiled in August 2016. 

• Self-propelled mortars

  2S42 Lotos

  The 2S42 Lotos (Lotus) is a self-propelled artillery system that is being developed by Rostec subsidiary TsNIITochMash to replace the Russian VDV airborne forces' and ...

• Land: air defence radar

  RLS-50

  OKB TSP gave its first public display of the RLS-50 3D air surveillance mobile radar at ADEX 2016, at Baku, in September 2016. Its beam ...

• PD6-AW

  Prodrone's PD6-AW all-weather hexarotor drone is designed for professional filming, photography, land surveying, inspections and other roles. The platform was unveiled in April 2016. 

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Bars-6

  Bogdan publicly unveiled the 7t Bars-6 (Panther) 4x4 light APC at IDEX 2015, and in July 2016, the company introduced an upgraded version ready for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Mini UAV Fixed Wing I

  The Jordan Design and Development Bureau (JODDB) unveiled the hand-launched Mini UAS (also known as Mini UAV Fixed-Wing I) at SOFEX 2016, along with a wider family ...