• Defence Helicopter

  MD Helicopters sets ambitious timeline for international orders

  19th March 2018

  With the 6XX delayed due to certification hold ups, despite ambitions of that happening last year, MD Helicopters has set itself a tight schedule to deliver …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Philippine Air Force inducts first ScanEagles

  13th March 2018

  The Philippine Air Force (PAF) formally received its first batch of six ScanEagle 2 tactical UAVs from the US government at a ceremony in the hangar …

• Special Operations

  AUSA Global: Profense unveils 5.56mm minigun

  28th March 2018

  Profense LLC has used this week’s AUSA Global Force exhibition and symposium to unveil its PF556 minigun, a new model system that fires linked 5.56x45mm …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  South Korea confirmed to be flying MALE UAV platform

  20th March 2018

  A new image of a South Korean MALE UAV in flight has recently surfaced. Significantly, the light-coloured aircraft was adorned in Republic of Korea Air Force …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK to decide on MH-47G in 2020

  6th April 2018

  A decision on whether the UK chooses to replace or upgrade a number of its current Chinook fleet with newer MH-47G aircraft will be made …

• Defence Notes

  US to sell military aircraft to European allies

  5th April 2018

  The US on 4 April approved $4.7 billion in deals for US firms to sell jet fighters to Slovakia, military helicopters to Spain and armed …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Smart city integration key stage of unmanned journey

  13th April 2018

  While industries such as agriculture, energy and mining have embraced the use of drones the next stage of the unmanned journey will be integrating the …

• Defence Notes

  US military secretaries tout S&T collaboration

  13th March 2018

  Every week to two weeks, the US military secretaries are meeting for breakfast to discuss ways they can become more integrated and share insights into …

• Special Operations

  Russia celebrates “SOF Day”

  22nd March 2018

  The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) celebrated the Special Operations Forces Day on 27th February with the disclosure of new video footage illustrating a series …

• Defence Helicopter

  ​USMC weighs up V-22 missile options

  3rd April 2018

  The USMC is considering placing forward facing missiles and rockets on its Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey fleet as it looks to bridge a current gap in escort capability. …

• Special Operations

  Venezuela to enhance SOF capabilities

  12th March 2018

  Venezuela’s special operations forces are set to receive a USD $20 million uplift in materiel and equipment, according to President Nicolas Maduro. Announcing the news …

• Naval Warfare

  CAMM 3-cell ExLS completes qualification trials

  9th April 2018

  MBDA and Lockheed Martin have completed qualification of MBDA’s Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) from Lockheed Martin’s Extensible Launching System (ExLS) 3-cell standalone launcher following …

• Defence Notes

  Japan mulls F-35B for helicopter carriers

  16th March 2018

  In early March the USMC commenced shipborne training of Lockheed Martin F-35B fighters aboard USS Wasp, and Japan is one country particularly keen to observe the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Insight: Latin spirit for helicopter footprints

  4th April 2018

  The South American region is one as rich in opportunities as any other for helicopter manufacturers and while political disruptions can affect defence procurement, civil …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Puma II AE for Canada’s MCDVs

  5th March 2018

  AeroVironment’s Puma II AE maritime miniature UAS has been selected for fielding aboard the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, the company announced …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (5-6) [Australia]

  Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated GCS. ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Medium Range Air Defence [Australia]

  Background Faced with a growing threat from China and a vast land and sea territory to protect, Australia is seeking to establish a medium-range ground-based ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (13-14) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Background Goal As stated by the Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney, in March 2022, the Ghost Bat will be an "operational system ...

• Loitering munitions

  Mission Talon Strike [Australia]

  Background Request for Tender (RFT) On 19 May 2025, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), an agency aimed at streamlining defence invocation for the Australian Defence ...

• Military UAS - small

  VTOL UAV [New Zealand]

  Background Defence Capability Plan (DCP) In April 2025, the New Zealand government published the DCP, a document that is essentially a blueprint for what procurements ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Military UAS - small

  DEF129 (Tactical UAS) [Australia]

  Programme Background Programme Announcement The Australian Army announced the Project Land 129 Phase 3 programme in 2017. This announcement led to the release of an industry ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  Air-5416 Project Echidna was an initiative launched in 2001 by BAE Systems for the Australian DoD. Its goal was to overhaul the self protection systems ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). In ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Hawkei

  Thales Australia developed the 4x4 Hawkei for the Australian Army's Land 121 Phase 4 Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light (PMV-L) project.  The prototype was unveiled in ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  AGM-88E AARGM

  The AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) is a supersonic, medium-range, air-launched tactical missile compatible with US and allied strike aircraft. Designed to upgrade the AGM-88 ...

• Military UAS - mini

  M Solar-X

  First revealed in August 2020, in February 2024, at its symposium, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) showcased the M Solar-X. This solar-powered fixed-wing drone was ...