• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Qinetiq to lead MAPLE phase four

  18th August 2017

  Qinetiq will lead phase four of the Maritime Autonomous Platform Exploitation (MAPLE) project for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) under a £4.5million contract …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned demos come with demanding cost

  21st August 2017

  An increasing number of unmanned demonstrations, similar to the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior in 2016, are on the horizon as end users continue to get …

• Special Operations

  Analysis: US SOF involvement in Philippines

  8th September 2017

  The US closure of Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines (JSOTF-P) in Mindanao, southern Philippines in 2015 appears to have been premature, in light …

• Training

  DiSTI wins UH-72A Lakota VMT option

  9th August 2017

  DiSTI has won a second year option of interim contractor support for the US Army's UH-72A Lakota Virtual Maintenance Trainer (VMT). The initial contract included …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  European UAS moves forward, slowly

  1st August 2017

  The European MALE RPAS programme continues to move forward, albeit slowly, as the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) announced an agreement has been made …

• Naval Warfare

  Fincantieri's week in the spotlight

  3rd August 2017

  Events of the past week have proved a mixed bag for Fincantieri after its thwarted attempt to purchase shipbuilder STX France and successful conclusion of …

• Special Operations

  Nigerian Air Force begins training special forces unit

  7th August 2017

  The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has begun training a new group of Special Forces (SF) in conjunction with an Israeli contractor, it was announced on …

• Military Logistics

  USS John P Murtha completes FCT

  26th July 2017

  San Antonio class amphibious transport dock, USS John P Murtha (LPD 26), has returned to its homeport at Naval Base San Diego following the completion …

• Special Operations

  International interest spreads in C-130J-SOF variant

  15th August 2017

  Lockheed Martin’s proposed C-130J-SOF export variant will be tailored to different international operators’ requirements as interest in the type grows worldwide. According to Lockheed Martin, …

• Defence Notes

  Romania boosts defence spending

  3rd August 2017

  Romania’s Supreme Defence Council (CSAT) has approved the Armed Forces Endowment Plan 2017-2026, as Bucharest vies to meet NATO’s 2% of GDP spending target, it was …

• Naval Warfare

  GSL delivers OPV to Sri Lankan Navy

  31st July 2017

  Goa Shipyard (GSL) delivered a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) to the Sri Lankan Navy on 22 July 2017. Designed in-house and built by GSL, …

• Defence Helicopter

  GTLK orders Russian-made HEMs helicopters

  26th July 2017

  Russian Helicopters and Russia’s state-owned leasing company GTLK signed on 20 July 2017 a contract detailing the delivery of 30 EMS helicopters under a newly-designed, …

• Defence Helicopter

  PGZ, Bell Helicopters to cooperate on UH-1Y

  27th July 2017

  Bell Helicopter and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to cooperate on the UH-1Y Venom for the Polish market, the company announced …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE racks up RIB production (video)

  1st August 2017

  BAE Systems has reached the 50% production milestone of its Pacific 24 Mk 4 Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) programme for the UK’s Ministry of Defence …

• Naval Warfare

  Mixed results for Philippine maritime surveillance

  25th July 2017

  The Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) second quest to acquire a pair of maritime patrol aircraft met with failure on 21 July when all contenders were …

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 ...