• Defence Notes

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: HD-1 missile takes international aim

  8th November 2018

  A newcomer at Airshow China 2018 was the HD-1 supersonic cruise missile from Guangdong Hongda Mining, this weapon being targeted directly at the export sector …

• Land Warfare

  Indo Defence 2018: IAI wins $550m air defence systems contract in Asia

  31st October 2018

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has become the successful bidder for a $550 million contract providing an air defence system to the army of an undisclosed …

• Land Warfare

  Indo Defence 2018: Malaysia tests Starstreak missiles

  31st October 2018

  Malaysia conducted a firing of its Thales Starstreak Next Generation (NG) surface-to-air missiles on 25 October at the Tanjung Logok Ground-to-Air Firing Range in Johor, …

• Training

  Barco launches FL40 projector

  12th November 2018

  Projection display specialists Barco has launched a new HLD – LED (High Lumen Density – Light Emitting Diode) projection system, the FL40. Available in native WUXGA (1920 …

• Training

  Saab to expand Poland's Gamer LSS

  15th October 2018

  Saab has received an order to expand Poland's General Tadeusz Kosciuszko Military University of Land Forces’ (AWL's) fully-instrumented, Gamer laser-based training capability (LSS), the company …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: The Venezuelan conundrum

  19th November 2018

  Once one of the most vibrant economies in the world, Venezuela in more recent times has suffered from prolonged periods of political and financial instability, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Elbit to provide UAS maritime patrol for EMSA

  6th November 2018

  Elbit Systems has received a framework contract from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide maritime UAS patrol services within the European Union, the …

• Defence Notes

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: Poly recycles PLA equipment for export

  9th November 2018

  The amorphous Chinese entity known as Poly Technologies highlighted its status as authorised reseller of decommissioned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) equipment at Zhuhai Air Show …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Chinese confidential – the missing link in US intelligence

  17th October 2018

  The US is way behind China in gathering intelligence. If America and its allies are to have any hope of keeping the next Cold War …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA eyes low-earth orbit for Blackjack programme

  6th November 2018

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking a range of proposals for a new programme that will build a constellation of small, …

• Land Warfare

  Russian Airborne Troops to get the Sprut-SDM1

  12th November 2018

  The Airborne Troops branch of the Russian military is set to get its first Sprut-SDM1 self-propelled tank destroyers in 2020. According to the branch’s Commander-in-Chief, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Erickson to provide aerial services to USPACOM

  6th November 2018

  Erickson has received an IDIQ contract from the US Department of Defense to provide dedicated rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft to the US Pacific …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment receives order for Raven UAS

  9th October 2018

  AeroVironment has received a $13 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract from the US Air Force for RQ-11B Raven UAS to support Latin American and Caribbean …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AN/ZPY-4 radar contract for Fire Scout

  30th October 2018

  Telephonics has received a contract to supply its AN/ZPY-4 maritime and overland surveillance radar system for use on the US Navy's MQ-8B Fire Scout UAS, …

• Naval Warfare

  RAN commissions HMAS Brisbane

  1st November 2018

  The Royal Australian Navy has commissioned the second Australian-built Hobart-class guided missile destroyer, HMAS Brisbane, at the Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney, the Australian …

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 ...