• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MALE RPAS programme moves ahead

  29th September 2016

  The Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) programme to develop a common European UAS has moved into the definition study phase. …

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2016: New modular sniper rifle debuts

  3rd October 2016

  Austrian-based firearms design and manufacturing company Ritter & Stark is launching its SX-1 Modular Tactical Rifle (MTR).  A subsidiary of HPP Precision Products, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mexican Navy receives first MBe

  29th September 2016

  The Mexican Navy became the inaugural customer for the AS565 MBe at Airbus Helicopters’ facilities in Marignane, France on 28 September. The navy has been …

• Naval Warfare

  DCNS floats FREMM frigate Bretagne

  21st September 2016

  DCNS is nearing delivery of the FREMM Bretagne frigate to the French Navy, with the vessel floated at the company’s Lorient, France facility on 16 September. …

• Military Logistics

  L-CAT tests Captas-1 towed sonar

  24th September 2016

  Thales and CNIM have trailed the use of a Captas-1 variable depth sonar on an L-Cat landing craft in the Mediterranean to further demonstrate the …

• Defence Helicopter

  MSPO 2016: Poland studies induction rockets

  9th September 2016

  With Poland looking at laser guided weapon technology through state-owned munitions manufacturer Mesko, Thales is hoping to steal a march on other potential international partners. …

• Military Logistics

  AAD 2016: C-130J offered up

  16th September 2016

  Lockheed Martin has been touting its latest C-130J Super Hercules model to South Africa are ‘in talks’ with the government. Speaking at AAD Richard Johnston, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Thales eye Halcyon days

  9th September 2016

  Following the recent rehearsal of elements of Thales’ Halcyon USV mine-hunting capability, on the fringes of Portsmouth Solent, company officials say that additional autonomous behaviour …

• Land Warfare

  Land Forces 2016: Land 400 – opportunity knocks

  8th September 2016

  The biggest acquisition programmes currently under way for the Australian Army fall under the Land 400 umbrella for new armoured vehicles, and these offer great …

• Military Logistics

  A400M tests from sand runways

  24th August 2016

  The A400M has successfully demonstrated its ability to operate from sand runways, Airbus Defence and Space announced on 24 August. Sand runways are the last …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Heron crashes in Israel

  9th August 2016

  A Heron 1 has crashed over northern Israel during a test flight on 9 August, while Israeli media reported that a number of people on …

• Digital Battlespace

  TACIP takes command

  26th August 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has demonstrated the first iteration of its Tactical IP (TACIP) deployable information solution following its launch in 2015.  Current work …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Airbus to operate German Heron 1 UAS

  25th July 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space will operate Germany’s Heron 1 UAS in support of the German Army’s mission in Mali, the company announced on 21 July. …

• Naval Warfare

  France, UK monitor ferry threat

  4th August 2016

  News that armed French security personnel conducted a boarding exercise and embarkation on a Brittany Ferries vessel has brought the terror threat to civil port …

• Defence Helicopter

  Kuwait buys 30 H225M helicopters

  9th August 2016

  Kuwait has firmed up a commitment for 30 H225M Caracal medium helicopters, signing a €1 billion contract with France’s defence minister on 9 August. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Bayraktar TB2 [Mali]

  Programme Background Six Drones On 22 December 2022, Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at IISS, tweeted photographs showing a Baytraktar TB2 adorned with the Malian ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-171Sh

  While the Burkinabe Armed Forces declined to discuss the deal when contacted by Shephard, a Burkinabe military source did acknowledge that the aircraft were being ...

• Mine-protected vehicles, MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 1]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• Mine-protected vehicles, MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 2]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Fardier SOV

  Programme Background The French Army's airborne units previously operated 280 Lohr FL500 Fardier utility vehicles to carry heavy equipment. Those vehicles increased the tactical mobility ...

• Mine-protected vehicles, MPVs - 4x4

  UN Peacekeeping Vehicles [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires 4x4 armoured vehicles to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Warfare Vessels [France]

  Programme Background Requirements France’s Mine Warfare Vessels programme is aimed at replacing the ageing Eridan-class minehunters. The programme will follow the Future Naval Mine Action System ...

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

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

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

  MQ-9 Reaper [France]

  Programme Background 2013 (Block 1) The then-French Defence Minister, Kean-Yves Le Drian, confirmed on 31 May 2013 that France had ordered its first two MQ-9 platforms. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Wheeled Armoured Vehicles (Sri Lanka)

  Programme Background Requirement The Sri Lankan army operates armoured vehicles from several countries, with Russia and China being its biggest suppliers. Its wheeled APC inventory ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Data links

  Data links | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: mission management systems

  FINDSAT - BFT System

  Using geo-satellite positioning, Nexter’s BFT system (FINDSAT) is capable of identifying and locating friendly personnel who are not equipped with networked information or radio systems. ...

• Military UGVs

  THeMIS

  Milrem's Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) is a modular, hybrid UGV.  The vehicle's modular design and open architecture allow it to be reconfigured to ...

• Land: indirect fire location radar

  GA10

  The Ground Alerter 10 (GA10), developed by Thales, is a portable Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) early warning system. It provides 360° azimuth coverage with ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  HOT 3

  Designed to destroy reactive armour, the HOT (Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube, or High Subsonic, Optical, Remote-Guided, Tube-Launched) family has demonstrated its multipurpose capability. Tens ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-8/Mi-17

  The Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name Hip) is a twin-engine, multirole, medium helicopter developed from 1960 to meet Soviet military requirements. More than 18,000 examples of the ...

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

  Heron Mk 1

  The Heron, now called the Heron Mk I, is a MALE UAS manufactured by Isreal Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Malat Division. Designed for various missions, including ISTAR and artillery fire ...

• Military UGVs

  Probot

  The 4x4 Professional Robot (Probot) is suitable for various applications, both indoor and outdoor, and is designed to carry a payload of up to 700kg. ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  TopOwl

  The TopOwl binocular helmet-mounted sight and display has been chosen by 16 countries for their army, navy and/or air force attack and transport helicopters. It ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Puma M36 Mk 5

  OTT developed the Puma M36 Mk 5 to meet the needs of African customers for a lower-cost vehicle that offers a greater payload than its ...

• Frigates

  La Fayette/Kang Ding Class

  The La Fayette-class frigates have a stealthy design and are in service with France and Taiwan, with some variance between the ships on length and ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI

  Nexter developed the VBCI to meet a French Army requirement for an infantry fighting vehicle to replace the tracked AMX-10P. The 8x8 design was specified ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale

  The Rafale is a delta-wing agile aircraft with forward canards, which allow for short landing and slower speeds, powered by two Snecma M88 engines. The ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  SPREOS

  Bird Aerosystems’ SPREO is a Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) designed to protect rotary and fixed-wing aircraft against incoming infrared (IR) guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. ...

• Trainer

  TB 30 Epsilon

  The Socata TB 30 Epsilon is a light truboprop trainer aircraft. The first aircraft flew in 1979 and entered service in 1983. It is in ...