• Air Warfare

  AIM-9X Block II to benefit from software enhancements

  14th September 2020

  Raytheon Missiles and Defense is providing new and improved software, plus software risk reduction and support, for the development of Operational Flight Software 10.15 which …

• Naval Warfare

  RN embarks on experimental deployment of Littoral Response Group

  17th September 2020

  An RN task group, led by the landing platform dock ship HMS Albion, has departed the UK for a three-month deployment to the Mediterranean and …

• Defence Notes

  Netherlands defines 2021 spending priorities

  18th September 2020

  In its latest budget plan the Netherlands MoD is emphasising investment in ‘digitisation and sustainability’, green technology, extra cyber capacity, AI and modern equipment such …

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO experts develop ARTEMIS for sUAS detection

  4th September 2020

  A team at the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency has built an experimental prototype to detect, identify and localise small UASs (sUASs) using low-cost …

• Defence Helicopter

  Germany cancels heavy-lift helicopter acquisition

  29th September 2020

  Germany has announced the cancellation of the long running CH-53G heavy-lift helicopter replacement tender, citing budgetary difficulties and after close examination of industry offers. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Czech Mi-17s to receive AMPS upgrade

  14th September 2020

  BIRD Aerosystems is to upgrade and improve Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) it had previously provided to the Czech Air Force, under a contract worth …

• Land Warfare

  Hungary confirms major Lynx deal

  10th September 2020

  The Hungarian government on 10 September announced it has placed an official order with German manufacturer Rheinmetall for 218 KF41 Lynx IFVs. Nine Buffalo armoured recovery …

• Defence Helicopter

  Industry partners ink T55 deal in hot pursuit of German heavy-lift win

  18th September 2020

  Boeing, Honeywell and Rolls-Royce have jointly reached an agreement for T55 engine in-service support as part of a wider CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter offer to …

• Land Warfare

  Poland enhances military presence near Belarus

  27th August 2020

  A new tank battalion is being formed in eastern Poland, after the first batch of modified T-72M1 MBTs was received by the 19th Mechanized Brigade …

• Land Warfare

  Baltic armies continue to modernise with a wary eye on Russia

  7th September 2020

  The Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania may accelerate their rearmament programmes by developing their own weapon systems as well as procuring them from …

• Naval Warfare

  Is the USN defying the aircraft carrier’s obsolescence?

  16th October 2020

  Aircraft carriers retain their relevance in the latest USN strategic thinking, despite arguments against their continued development

• Naval Warfare

  Kormoran II MCM vessels to include Kraken equipment

  9th September 2020

  Kraken Robotics is to provide mine-hunting systems to the Polish Navy, in the form of its Katfish towed synthetic aperture sonar system, Tentacle winch and Autonomous …

• Air Warfare

  Sweden again proposes Gripen for Croatia

  9th September 2020

  Saab announced on 9 September that representatives of the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) and the Swedish Embassy in Croatia have submitted a government-to-government proposal …

• Land Warfare

  New ballistic helmets arrive in Czech Republic

  2nd September 2020

  The Army of the Czech Republic is receiving the first batch of ballistic protection helmets from domestic company Argun. A total of 11,603 helmets are …

• Defence Notes

  NSPA picks Avon for CBRN system

  21st August 2020

  Avon Protection has been awarded a ten-year framework contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to supply a complete CBRN respirator system. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Tanks

  2S25 Sprut-SDM1

  Programme Background The Sprut-SDM1 is an upgraded version of the Sprut-SD, a mere 30 of which were produced for the VDV between 2006 and 2010 ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DDG) (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background The 27DD Maya class destroyers were previously known as the Improved Atago class because they are an addition to the existing two Atago-class destroyers that have entered service. ...

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  Programme Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Data links

  Data links | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Small VTOL UAV (Denmark)

  Programme Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Greece)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Italy)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-37B Compass Call [USAF]

  Programme Background Requirement The retirement of the EF-111A in 1990 left the USAF largely out of the operational and tactical level radar jamming business. Lockheed Martin ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35 (Russia)

  The MiG-35 is a new-generation derivative of the twin-engine MiG-29 (NATO code-name ‘Fulcrum’) featuring multi-role combat capabilities, significantly reworked airframe and a vastly expanded arsenal ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multirole Underwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) [Italy]

  In June 2024, during a presentation provided at the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (MARSEC COE), the Italian Navy detailed the new capabilities it ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-2

  Between 1,000 and 2,000 BMD-2 (Boevaya Mashina Desantnaya - Airborne Combat Vehicle) amphibious IFVs were produced for the Soviet Airborne Forces (VDV) by the Volgograd ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Aegis Ashore

  Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System originally developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's Ballistic Missile Defence ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-1

  The Volgograd Tractor Plant (now known as the Volgograd Machine-Building Company) developed the BMD-1 amphibious IFV specifically to meet the requirements of the Soviet Union's ...

• Land: battle management systems

  BMD-Flex

  BMD-Flex is a modular C2 software system for integrated air and missile defence. Built on T-Core, BMD-Flex’s features and functions can be tailored, ranging from ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Smart-L MM/N

  The Thales Smart-L MM/N is an AESA D-band next-generation Long Range Multi-Mission Radar for Air and Space Surveillance and Ballistic Missile Detection. It is based ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Bereg

  KBP developed the Bereg one-person turret (referred to as a ‘combat module’ in Russia) to provide an upgrade option for the Russian-designed BMD-series airborne IFV ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Bakhcha

  The Bakhcha is the latest version of the two-man turret originally developed for the BMP-3 tracked IFV, which entered Soviet Army service in 1987.  It ...

• Cannons

  2A70

  The 2A70 is a 100mm cannon that has been designed to equip infantry fighting vehicles, including the BMP-3, BMP-3F and the BMD-4M.

• Major networking projects

  NATO SATCOM

  Leonardo has been awarded a turnkey contract to rationalise and upgrade NATO’s SATCOM systems and associated infrastructure. The company will design, build, test, commission and ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO DCIS

  Airbus is delivering the NATO Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS). The project represents a major upgrade in the capability of NATO Response Forces (NRF) ...

• Land: RWS

  Qimek NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS. The Qimek NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a ...

• Land: RWS

  Nanuk NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS, which was introduced in 2008. The Nanuk NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ZBD-03/VN10

  The ZBD-03 (initially referred to as the ZLC2000) is an air-droppable tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed to support airborne assault operations. Although it shares many ...