Warsight: "Central Asia’s growing appetite for drones"

 

 

"Central Asia’s growing appetite for drones"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Warsight

26 August, 2026

Published: https://warsight.com/2026/08/26/central-asias-growing-appetite-for-drones/ 

 

The militaries of the five Central Asian countries– Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – inherited a large inventory of platforms and systems after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. Three and a half decades later, the five militaries are modernising their equipment and these countries are turning to extra-regional suppliers.

For example, Kazakhstan has received its first Airbus A400M transport aircraft in December 2024, while in February 2026 Embraer announced the sale of two C-390 Millennium transport aircraft to the Uzbekistani Air Force. Domestic industries are also developing ground vehicles such as armoured personnel carriers (APCs), and modernising legacy systems. Moreover, drone fever has arrived in the region.

 

 

Zona Militar: "AeroVironment’s Uncrewed Systems fly high with new contracts /

 

"AeroVironment’s Uncrewed Systems fly high with new contracts"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

26 July 2026

Published https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2026/07/26/aerovironments-uncrewed-systems-fly-high-with-new-contracts/ 

 AeroVironment, a global producer of drones and loitering munitions, is having a successful month, with contracts announced for global customers, including the US Army and the armed forces of Greece and Germany.

 

" AeroVironment suma nuevos contratos para sus drones y municiones merodeadoras en EE.UU. y Europa"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

26 de Julio, 2026

Publicado:  https://www.zona-militar.com/2026/07/26/aerovironment-suma-nuevos-contratos-para-sus-drones-y-municiones-merodeadoras-en-ee-uu-y-europa/

 

AeroVironment, uno de los principales fabricantes mundiales de drones y municiones merodeadoras, está atravesando un mes exitoso, con nuevos contratos anunciados para clientes internacionales, entre ellos el Ejército de los Estados Unidos y las Fuerzas Armadas de Grecia y Alemania. 

 

Future Warfare: " BAE to deliver naval guns for Brazilian patrol ships "

 

 

" BAE to deliver naval guns for Brazilian patrol ships "

 Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Future Warfare Magazine

22 July 2026

Published:  https://www.fw-mag.com/shownews/1179/bae-to-deliver-naval-guns-for-brazilian-patrol-ships

BAE Systems announced on 16 July the sale of two “state-of-the-art” Bofors 40Mk4 naval gun systems for Brazil. The guns will be installed aboard patrol vessels being built for the Brazilian Navy’s Patrol Vessel Construction Project (Programa de Obtenção de Navios-Patrulha: PRONAPA).

In its press release, the company explained that the guns are effective against a variety of targets, including drones, missiles, helicopters, swarming boats, surface vessels, and land targets. According to the company, the gun can switch “seamlessly” among ammunition types to deliver “versatile” targeting of air-, land- and sea-based threats. BAE also noted that Brazil already operates “dozens of Bofors 40 mm guns.”

Shephard: "South American MBTs: upgrades and payload modernisation could shape procurement paths"

 

 

"South American MBTs: upgrades and payload modernisation could shape procurement paths"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Land Warfare

Shephard

8 June, 2026

Published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/the-future-of-south-american-mbts-upgrades-and-payload-modernisation-present-market-opportunity/ 

 While South American geopolitics are complicated, the likelihood of inter-state warfare is low, calling into question the future of the venerable main battle tank.

CIMSEC: "Latin America: Donations and Sales of Second-hand Hulls"

 

 

"Latin America: Donations and Sales of Second-hand Hulls"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The Southern Tide

Center for International Maritime Security

3 June, 2026

Published:  https://cimsec.org/latin-america-donations-and-sales-of-second-hand-hulls/ 

 

Written by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, The Southern Tide addresses maritime security issues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses the challenges regional navies face including limited defense budgets, inter-state tensions, and transnational crimes. It also examines how these challenges influence current and future defense strategies, platform acquisitions, and relations with global powers.

Analyses of the status and strength of the US Navy, the Chinese Navy, and other global navies focus not only on the size of their respective fleets but also on the modernity of their hulls and their new capabilities, particularly vis-à-vis integrating new technologies. But what happens to decommissioned platforms that global naval powerhouses no longer operate? Some are kept in reserve or sent to scrapyards. However, many decommissioned vessels find a second life when sold or donated to partners and allies.

 

 

Future Warfare Magazine: " SAS 2026: MARTAC announces upcoming USV delivery to the Philippines, new projects "

 

 

" SAS 2026: MARTAC announces upcoming USV delivery to the Philippines, new projects "

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Future Warfare Magazine

23 April, 2024

Published: https://www.fw-mag.com/shownews/1032/sas-2026-martac-announces-upcoming-usv-delivery-to-the-philippines-new-projects 

At the Sea Air Space expo at the National Harbor, outside of Washington, DC, FW MAG spoke with Seamus Flatley, Chief Growth Officer at the Florida-based MARTAC Systems. The company discussed with FW Mag its upcoming deliveries and projects to expand its family of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for new missions.

The company delivered one DEVIL RAY T-38 and four T-12 USVs to the Philippine Navy in July of 2024. Two additional T-38s will be delivered in May of this year, MARTAC confirmed exclusively to FW MAG. Flatley added that his company has “ongoing discussions about future opportunities with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.” The T-38s are equipped with the launch-and-recovery system manufactured by the Israeli company Sealartec.

 

Quoted in: "Beyond a ‘buffer zone’: how the Iran war is recalibrating Central Asian ties"

 

 

"Beyond a ‘buffer zone’: how the Iran war is recalibrating Central Asian ties"

By: Cao Jiaxuan

South China Morning Post 

15 March, 2026 

Published: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346611/beyond-buffer-zone-how-iran-war-recalibrating-central-asian-ties

The former Soviet republics are leveraging diplomatic fallout from conflict to assert autonomy and balance major powers, observers say

 

Zona Militar: "Allen-Vanguard announces the sale of new electronic countermeasure systems to a South American military" / "Allen-Vanguard entregará nuevos sistemas de contramedidas Equinox NG y Scorpion 2 a las Fuerzas Armadas de un país Sudamericano"

"Allen-Vanguard announces the sale of new electronic countermeasure systems to a South American military"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

10 February, 2026

Published: https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2026/02/10/allen-vanguard-announces-the-sale-of-new-electronic-countermeasure-systems-to-a-south-american-military/

Allen-Vanguard, a producer of Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), announced on 5 February that it has received a multi-million-dollar order for its Equinox NG and Scorpion 2 ECM systems. The client is an undisclosed South American military. Zona Militar had an exclusive interview with Bobby Strawbridge, President of Allen-Vanguard, to discuss this sale and the future.

 

"Allen-Vanguard entregará nuevos sistemas de contramedidas Equinox NG y Scorpion 2 a las Fuerzas Armadas de un país Sudamericano"

 Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

10 de Febrero del 2026

Publicado:  https://www.zona-militar.com/2026/02/10/allen-vanguard-entregara-nuevos-sistemas-de-contramedidas-equinox-ng-y-scorpion-2-a-las-fuerzas-armadas-de-un-pais-sudamericano/

Allen-Vanguard, fabricante de sistemas de Contramedidas Electrónicas (ECM), anunció el pasado 5 de febrero que ha recibido un pedido multimillonario para sus sistemas ECM Equinox NG y Scorpion 2. El cliente es una fuerza armada sudamericana cuya identidad no fue revelada. Zona Militar mantuvo una entrevista exclusiva con Bobby Strawbridge, presidente de Allen-Vanguard, para dialogar sobre esta venta y las perspectivas a futuro.

 

Shephard: "Latin American air forces look beyond fighters to revamp transport aircraft fleets"

 

 

"Latin American air forces look beyond fighters to revamp transport aircraft fleets"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Shephard

4 February, 2026

Published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/latin-american-air-forces-revamp-transport-fleets/ 

 

The Mexican Air Force has become the first Latin American operator of the C-130J Super Hercules, but the service is not alone in acquiring a tactical airlifter in recent months.

Zona Militar: "Oshkosh Defense will deliver additional DXPV Kaaiman to The Netherlands"

 

 

"Oshkosh Defense will deliver additional DXPV Kaaiman to The Netherlands"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

23 January, 2026

Published: https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2026/01/23/oshkosh-defense-will-deliver-additional-dxpv-kaaiman-to-the-netherlands/

 

"Oshkosh Defense entregará vehículos expedicionarios DXPV Kaaiman adicionales a la Infantería de Marina de los Países Bajos"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

23 de Enero del 2026

Publicado: https://www.zona-militar.com/2026/01/23/oshkosh-defense-entregara-vehiculos-expedicionarios-dxpv-kaaiman-adicionales-a-la-infanteria-de-marina-de-los-paises-bajos/ 

 

 

 

Turan Center: "Turkey Expands Global Defense Influence: From the Turkic World to Latin America"

 

"Turkey Expands Global Defense Influence: From the Turkic World to Latin America"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Turan Center

18 November, 2025

Published: https://www.turancenter.org/analysis/turkey-expands-global-defense-influence-from-the-turkic-world-to-latin-america 

Turkey’s defense industry is entering a new phase of global expansion—with Latin America emerging as its next strategic frontier. The recent delivery of Otokar vehicles to Ecuador and the ratification of a defense cooperation agreement with Brazil are recent developments in a potential attempt by Ankara to replicate its success in the Turkic world across the Western Hemisphere.

From Regional Power to Global Exporter

Global instability, advanced defense technologies, and new markets have ushered in a golden age for defense industries. Turkey, once a net importer of military hardware, is expanding its global footprint by selling to longstanding allies and new clients.

 

 

 

Book Chapters in: “Maritime Strategy and Security Challenges in South America”

 

Maritime Strategy and Security Challenges in South America

 Henrik Shilling and Anne Runhaar (Eds)

ISPK Seapower Series

Vol. 6, First Edition, 2025

Nomos, Baden-Baden  

Chapter: "Maritime Strategy and Security Challenges in South America" p. 23-42

Chapter: "IUU Fishing and South American Navies" p. 159-172

https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/en/document/view/detail/uuid/a0885c17-cad1-3152-9408-7bd601824bd2 

 

 

Shephard: "Modular and attritable equipment must be a priority: US military"

 

"Modular and attritable equipment must be a priority: US military"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Shephard

18 September 2025

Published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-notes/modular-and-attritable-equipment-must-be-prioritised-us-military/ 

Senior officers and representatives from the US Army, US Air Force and US Navy emphasised the need to expedite acquisition projects for systems and platforms that are more modular. They also highlighted that the loss of equipment is acceptable.

The 2025 Emerging Technologies for Defense conference in Washington, DC, organised by the National Defense Industrial Association, featured US military officers, government officials and representatives from the defence industrial complex discussing the future of combat and new acquisition strategies of the US armed forces.

 

Zona Militar: "DroneShield announces new contracts for a Latin American defense customer" / "La empresa australiana DroneShield anuncia nuevos contratos para un cliente de defensa en América Latina"

 

 "DroneShield announces new contracts for a Latin American defense customer"

 Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

19 July 2025

Published: https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2025/07/19/droneshield-announces-new-contracts-for-a-latin-american-defense-customer/

The Australian company DroneShield, producer of counter-uncrewed aerial systems (counter-UAS) technology, announced on 30 June a contract package worth US$9.7 million for an undisclosed Latin American customer.

Specifically, the company announced three contracts “for its handheld and on-the-move counter-drone systems.” DroneShield will deliver the systems via its privately owned in-country reseller, which is contractually required to distribute the systems to “a defense end customer in a Latin American country,” the company explained in a press release. Zona Militar contacted DroneShield to learn about this contract and other projects the company has with Latin America; company representatives declined to elaborate further on the new contract or other agreements, citing confidentiality clauses.

"La empresa australiana DroneShield anuncia nuevos contratos para un cliente de defensa en América Latina"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

19 de Julio del 2025

Publicado: https://www.zona-militar.com/2025/07/19/la-empresa-australiana-droneshield-anuncia-nuevos-contratos-para-un-cliente-de-defensa-en-america-latina/ 

La empresa australiana DroneShield, especializada en tecnología contra sistemas aéreos no tripulados (counter-UAS), anunció el 30 de junio un paquete de contratos por un valor de 9,7 millones de dólares estadounidenses para un cliente latinoamericano cuya identidad no fue revelada.

En concreto, la empresa comunicó la firma de tres contratos “para sus sistemas antidrones portátiles y móviles”. DroneShield entregará los sistemas a través de un distribuidor local de propiedad privada, el cual tiene la obligación contractual de distribuir los equipos a “un cliente final del sector defensa en un país latinoamericano”, explicó la compañía en un comunicado de prensa. Zona Militar contactó a DroneShield para conocer más sobre este contrato y otros proyectos en América Latina; sin embargo, representantes de la empresa declinaron ofrecer más detalles sobre el nuevo acuerdo u otros convenios, citando cláusulas de confidencialidad.

 

Janes: "Paraguay accepts first four Embraer A-29 Super Tucanos from 2024 order"

 

"Paraguay accepts first four Embraer A-29 Super Tucanos from 2024 order"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Janes

3 July 2025

Published: https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/industry/paraguay-accepts-first-four-embraer-a-29-super-tucanos-from-2024-order

The Paraguayan Air Force (FAP) received the first four of six Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack and trainer aircraft on 30 June. The Paraguayan government announced the acquisition of six Super Tucanos in July 2024, intended to revamp the FAP's combat fleet.

 

 

Zona Militar: "Saab showcases its projects and goals to equip the Armed Forces of Latin America" / "Saab expone sus proyectos y objetivos para equipar a las Fuerzas Armadas de América Latina"

 

"Saab showcases its projects and goals to equip the Armed Forces of Latin America"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

24 May, 2025

Published: https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2025/05/24/saab-showcases-its-projects-and-goals-to-equip-the-armed-forces-of-latin-america/

 

"Saab expone sus proyectos y objetivos para equipar a las Fuerzas Armadas de América Latina"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

24 de Mayo, 2025

Publicado: https://www.zona-militar.com/2025/05/24/saab-expone-sus-proyectos-y-objetivos-para-equipar-a-las-fuerzas-armadas-de-america-latina/

Breaking Defense: "As Peru seeks new fighter jets, global firms jockey for position"

 

"As Peru seeks new fighter jets, global firms jockey for position"  

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Breaking defense

15 May, 2025

Published: https://breakingdefense.com/2025/05/as-peru-seeks-new-fighter-jets-global-firms-jockey-for-position/

WASHINGTON — When a high-profile delegation of Peruvian government officials, including the minister of defense, made a visit to their counterparts in Washington, DC, last week, they added another stop to the trip to see a Lockheed Martin facility.

 

Shephard: "L3Harris expands footprint across Europe via Everest NL and new contracts"

 

 "L3Harris expands footprint across Europe via Everest NL and new contracts"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare

Shephard

25 April, 2025

Published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/l3harris-expands-footprint-across-europe-via-everest-nl-and-new-contracts/ 

L3Harris is targeting European naval modernisation with new uncrewed surface vessels, SATCOM partnerships, and regional investments including defence exercises and facility openings.

Zona Militar: "Northrop Grumman prepares MQ-4C Tritons for Australia, seeks other customers" / "En busca de nuevos operadores: presente y futuro del UAV MQ-4C Triton, con el que Northrop Grumman equipa a la Armada de EE.UU. y la Fuerza Aérea de Australia"

 

 

"Northrop Grumman prepares MQ-4C Tritons for Australia, seeks other customers"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

24 April 2025

Published: https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2025/04/24/northrop-grumman-prepares-mq-4c-tritons-for-australia-seeks-other-customers/

Northrop Grumman announced in February the successful testing of an MQ-4C Triton uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), which will be utilized by the Royal Australian Air Force. During the Sea Air Space expo, Zona Militar spoke with Brad Champion, MQ-4C Triton Enterprise director at Northrop Grumman, about Triton’s users and the present and future of this modern high-capacity UAV.

 

"En busca de nuevos operadores: presente y futuro del UAV MQ-4C Triton, con el que Northrop Grumman equipa a la Armada de EE.UU. y la Fuerza Aérea de Australia"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Zona Militar

24 de Abril, 2025

Publicado: https://www.zona-militar.com/2025/04/24/en-busca-de-nuevos-operadores-presente-y-futuro-del-uav-mq-4c-triton-con-el-que-northrop-grumman-equipa-a-la-armada-de-ee-uu-y-la-fuerza-aerea-de-australia/

Northrop Grumman anunció en febrero las exitosas pruebas de un vehículo aéreo no tripulado (UAV) MQ-4C Triton, que será utilizado por la Real Fuerza Aérea Australiana. Durante la exposición Sea Air Space, Zona Militar conversó con Brad Champion, director del programa MQ-4C Triton en Northrop Grumman, sobre los usuarios del Triton y el presente y futuro de este moderno UAV de alta capacidad.

 

 

Breaking Defense: "Brazilian navy to acquire two British Albion-class ships"

 

 

"Brazilian navy to acquire two British Albion-class ships"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare

Breaking Defense

8 April 2025

Published: https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/brazilian-navy-to-acquire-two-british-albion-class-ships/ 

The Brazilian navy and the UK's Royal Navy have signed a letter of intent to acquire the HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.