Archive: News & Articles

The Ajax family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles for the British Army, which have been plagued by a series of noise and vibration issues, will finally achieve initial operating capability (IOC) between July and December 2025, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 20 March 2023. This will be more than six years after the […]

Boeing has been awarded a USD 1.946 Bn (EUR 1.82 Bn) contract modification from the US Army covering the manufacture of 184 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, the company announced on 17 March 2023. Under the award the US Army will receive 115 remanufactured Apaches, plus another 15 procured as options (also remanufactured), while the […]

Within the US Army’s latest USD 1.9 Bn (EUR 1.8 Bn) contract award to Boeing for 184 Apache AH-64E attack helicopters will be the first Apaches for Australia, which are to be delivered to the Australian Army from 2026, according to the company. Australia decided in 2021 to replace its Airbus Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters […]

Bavarian company Armored Car Systems GmbH (ACS) has developed an anti-tank variant of the Enok AB airborne vehicle (AB stands for airborne). Called the Tankhunter, the vehicle is now entering series production, Sebastian Schaubeck, Managing Director of ACS, has confirmed to ESD. Based on a request from a European customer, the variant was developed to […]

Poland is securing sections of its borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, especially crossing points, with tank barriers to counter any attack from Russian or Belarusian armoured columns. Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszcak posted photos on Twitter on 23 February 2023 showing sections of completed barriers in the area of the Suwalki […]

In March 2023, ESD interviewed Clarion Defence and Security, the organisers of DSEI Japan. Answers to ESD’s questions were provided by James Samuel, Director of DSEI Japan. James started his career at Reed Exhibitions back in 2001 with senior leadership positions at UBM, Tarsus and GovNet. James is currently working at Clarion Events where he […]

Russia launched a major missile attack against Ukraine on 9 March 2023 on a scale rarely seen previously. Most notably the attack included the use of six Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles: almost certainly the highest number of Kinzhals Russia has used against Ukraine in any such barrage. “During the day of March 9 the […]

Reported nuclear co-operation between China and Russia was one of a number of strategic threats to the United States outlined during an 8 March 2023 hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. With the subcommittee convened to discuss the US military’s financial year 2024 Strategic Forces Posture, its chairman, US Representative Doug […]

Lithuania’s Defence Materiel Agency has placed an order worth SEK 145 M (EUR 13 M) with Saab for Carl-Gustaf M4 ammunition, the Swedish company announced on 3 March 2023. The order was placed under a framework agreement signed between Saab and Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in 2019 that allows the Swedish armed forces, as […]

Ukraine’s invasion prompted unprecedented military co-operation across the NATO landscape and a strengthening of the organisation. Germany massively increased its arms budget, while Finland and Sweden applied to join the alliance. With Saab Group substantially representing the face of Sweden’s defence-industrial complex, ESD decided to interview defence policy expert Fredrik Hassel, Senior Public Affairs Advisor […]

While building bridges with key allies is an important part of developing effective armed forces, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an initiative focusing on the exact opposite: how to blow them up. The MoD’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) construct, which finds and funds new exploitable technology, has launched a new Innovation Focus […]

As previously indicated the Polish government signed a framework agreement on 28 February with Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) for the production and development of 1,400 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in numerous variants. The programme, which has a value of more than EUR 10 Bn, is the Polish defence industry’s largest project in 50 years, […]

Ukraine’s investment in developing an effective non-commissioned officer (NCO) corps could be a decisive factor in defeating the country’s invasion by Russia, the US Department of Defense (DoD) noted in a news article released on the DoD website on 28 February 2023. Cited in the article, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the US […]

The UK armed forces intend to procure up to 600 FGM-148F Javelin anti-tank missiles, according to a notification by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) dated 28 February 2023. According to the notification, the US State Department has approved the sale of the systems as well as an unspecified logistics and support package with […]

Poland will imminently order more than a thousand Borsuk (‘Badger’) infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) from Polish AFV builder Hutę Stalowa Wola (HSW), Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced on 24 February 2023. Analysts estimate that the value of the procurement will exceed EUR 10 Bn, with series production possibly beginning at the […]

The Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ push was clearly visible at the 14th Aero India exhibition, which ran from 13-17 February in Yelahanka, Bangalore, with most Indian defence manufacturers signing agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with foreign vendors. Israel, in particular, a world leader in air defence systems, signed agreements with several Indian partners […]

Swedish defence manufacturer Saab will begin deliveries of its AT4CS AST ground combat weapon to the Indian Army towards the third quarter of 2023. While not disclosing the numbers of the manportable, shoulder-launched weapon to be provided, Bo Thorn, President of Saab’s FFV Ordnance business, said at Aero India 2023 that the AT4CS AST “is […]

The Polish Air Force has received the MQ-9A Reaper medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV) system it has leased from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI), the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced on 12 February 2023. The contract for the lease of the Reaper, worth USD 70.6 M, was signed back in […]

As the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February approaches, the launch in London on 15 February 2023 of The Military Balance 2023 – the annual assessment by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) of military power around the globe – inevitably had a major focus on the effects of the conflict. […]

Funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Energy INDependent and Efficient Deployable MilitarY Camps (INDY) project was launched on 14 February 2023, with companies from 11 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Spain) participating. According to the EU fact sheet, the INDY project aims to develop […]

Debuting at Aero India 2023 – Asia’s largest airshow, which runs from 13-17 February in Yelahanka, Bangalore – is Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter. The F-35 was brought to India by the US Air Force (USAF) and is expected to be the showstopper at the five-day event. Coming ahead of Indian Prime Minister […]