Archive: News & Articles

French tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Elistair announced the launch of its Orion Heavy Lift (HL) platform on 8 March 2023. Designed to support the growing demand for variable-height antennas from military, public safety and homeland security customers, the Orion HL platform leverages the Orion and Orion 2 platforms used by military and security […]

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced the initiation of the European High-Altitude Platform Systems (EuroHAPS) project on 9 March 2023. A demonstration project selected by the European Commission on 20 July 2022 after a call for collaborative defence research and development projects from the European Defense Fund (EDF), […]

The UK defence acquisition process is out of date and dysfunctional, a paper published by Risk management consultancy Redstone Risk on 6 March 2023 has asserted. Titled ‘Unwrapping the Riddle of Defence Acquisition in the United Kingdom’, the report outlines the fundamental changes Redstone says are required to optimise defence acquisition in the UK. It […]

South Korean defence contractor Hanwha has agreed with Polish IT manufacturer WB Group to buy command-and-control (C2) systems for the K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) ordered by Poland in November 2022, Hanwha announced on 23 February 2023. The Polish procurement contract for the systems, signed in October 2022, stipulates that WB Group’s TOPAZ combat […]

In response to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency’s request for information (RFI) under the ongoing Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme, Boeing has provided data on its E-7 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) platform, it emerged on 21 February 2023. The aircraft is a military version of the Boeing 737-700ER airliner featuring […]

In response to a request for information (RFI) from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), Sweden’s Saab has offered its GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform as a successor to the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), the company announced on 21 February 2023. In the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control […]

The United Arab Emirates’ EDGE Group announced two contracts worth a combined value exceeding AED 70 M to deliver multiple V-Protect convoy protection systems and Skyshield counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solutions “to a key international customer” at the IDEX 2023 defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi on 22 February 2023. V-Protect is a radio frequency (RF) […]

Israel’s Elbit Systems announced on 6 February 2023 that it has shipped the 600,000th radio in its E-LynX series of software-defined radios (SDRs). The recipient of the unit was the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), which received the system as part of its Tactical Ground Radio (TGR) programme. For more than 55 years Elbit has […]

The EU Council of Ministers approved a draft administrative arrangement between the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the US Department of Defense (US DoD) on 6 February 2023. According to a statement by the EDA, the aim of the agreement is to establish a framework for the exchange of information and the exploration of possibilities […]

With the delivery of two more Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the final quarter of 2022, the Corps’ inventory of the type has grown to nine aircraft, Lockheed Martin announced on 13 February 2023. The CH‑53K has capabilities that exceed all other US […]

Hensoldt is supplying two more of its TRML-4D high-performance radars to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence, the company writes in a press release. As part of an order worth a two-digit million euro sum, the two radars will be delivered in the next three months. At the turn of the year, Hensoldt had already contracted four […]

On 17 January 2023, three NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance aircraft started their mission patrolling the skies over Romania. NATO had previously on 12 January announced that AWACS aircraft would be based at Otopeni airport in Romania for several weeks. The location was selected due to Romania’s proximity to Ukraine. Two of […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) further advanced its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) ecosystem by flying three unique missions with artificially intelligent (AI) pilots on an operationally relevant Open Mission System (OMS) software stack, the company writes in a press release. A company-owned Avenger UAS was paired with “digital twin” aircraft to autonomously conduct Live, Virtual, […]

Elbit Systems has announced that its E-LynX tactical Software Defined Radio (SDR) solution was selected by the Spanish defence procurement organization Directorate-General for Armament and Material (DGAM) in the scope of the “Urgent Acquisition of V/UHF SDR Radio Equipment” programme. This follows the Spanish MoD’s selection of the E-LynX SDR solution for its combat battalions […]

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) has signed two multiple award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts with King ICT Croatia and IBM Belgium, for the provision of cyber security deployment and configuration services. Following an open competition, the Cyber Security Services Framework (CSSF) contracts were signed on 12 December 2022 and will […]

Elbit Systems has announced that it was awarded a contract valued at approximately USD 36 million to supply four F-16 Full Mission Simulators (FMS) to the Polish Air Force (PLAF). The contract is to be performed over a 28-month period. According to the company, the simulation technology at the core of the mission training centre […]

On 12 December 2022, IAI announced that the German Heron TP, an unmanned aerial vehicle developed through a partnership between German and Israeli companies, is the first UAV in the German armed forces to receive STANAG 4671 Type Certification from the German Military Aviation Authority (GMAA), which attests to its compliance with military airworthiness standards. […]

Europe’s first 5G defence testbed, based in Ādaži, Latvia has been supplemented by two 5G networks built by Nokia and Ericsson in order to test defence innovations on a variety of networks. The employment of two additional standalone 5G networks is further step to improving the testbed as it allows for centralised testing, checking compatibility […]

On 29 November 2022, Safran Electronics & Defense announced that they had signed a contract with Leonardo to supply the Euroflir 610 optronic sight for the Eurodrone medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme. The start of manufacturing for the first Eurodrone prototype equipped with the Euroflir 610 is planned for 2024. The […]

On 25 November 2022, Saab announced that it had signed a contract with the Polish State Treasury Armament Agency for design, production and support of two Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) ships for the Polish Navy. The order is valued at EUR 620 M, with deliveries scheduled for 2027. Saab stated that the contract is subject to […]

On Friday 18 November 2022, the European Committee of Permanent Representatives adopted a regulation to strengthen cybersecurity within EU institutions, bodies and agencies. It includes four measures: Strengthening the mandate and funding of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-EU). Establishing a cross-institutional cybersecurity council to implement the new regulation Improving the exchange of information with […]