• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore leverages unmanned and AI tech

  2nd March 2018

  The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has begun live trials of more unmanned, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) systems to overcome the island-state’s constraints and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aspen, Sensurion to co-develop UAV Avionics

  21st March 2018

  Aspen Avionics and Sensurion Aerospace have entered into a partnership to develop certified avionics for UAS and unmanned air-taxi platforms, Aspen announced 19 March. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ASV Global’s C-Worker 5 USV for USM

  23rd March 2018

  ASV Global has received a contract from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to supply a C-Worker 5 USV, the company announced on 21 March. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MUM-TX ready for fielding on Apache Echo models

  2nd March 2018

  Enhanced manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capabilities are set to be deployed by the US Army as soon as 2020 with the fielding of its AH-64E Apache …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG’s MH-60T SLEP moves to next phase

  22nd March 2018

  The US Coast Guard’s (USCG) MH-60T Jayhawk Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) has received approval from the US Department of Homeland Security to proceed to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Red Sky neutralises drone threats

  1st March 2018

  A short-range drone defense system, Red Sky 2, developed by Israeli Military Industries (IMI) has been sold to the government of Thailand for protecting strategic …

• Military Logistics

  SARAS PT1N completes second test flight

  27th February 2018

  India’s light transport aircraft SARAS PT1N has successfully completed its second test flight, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 20 February. The aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  EO/IR special report: Promising outlook for Asia military helo market

  13th February 2018

  By virtue of spending estimates between now and 2027 the military EO/IR Asia-Pacific market is forecast to become the second biggest globally – behind North …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lakota flies while Leonardo spies navy trainer

  21st March 2018

  Further to Leonardo's retreat over litigation procedures the company now turns its focus to opportunities with the US Navy while Airbus Helicopters remains dedicated to …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF launches advanced video imaging satellite

  1st March 2018

  The UK Air Force has significantly advanced its satellite intelligence capabilities with the successful launch of the Carbonite-2 satellite terminal.  Providing the service with detailed …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ukraine boosting its security with Airbus fleet

  26th March 2018

  Ukraine has given the go-ahead for a large-scale purchase of Airbus Helicopters' aircraft to be used for internal security and civil protection duties. This has …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Harris expands its horizons

  9th February 2018

  Harris Defence Australia (HDA) is feeling particularly buoyant on the back of last year’s Project Land 200 Tranche 2 success in Australia. That A$1.4 billion …

• Military Logistics

  Aerogility bids to disrupt logistics market

  27th March 2018

  Logistics software start-up Aerogility has set its sights on increasing its market share of the fleet management sector as it looks to gain an edge …

• Digital Battlespace

  Doubts persist for laser-based ballistic missile defence

  21st March 2018

  Kinetic weapons are still the best option for intercepting ballistic missiles in their initial boost phase despite recent indications this could be performed by directed …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army’s 12th CAB receives three UH-60Ms

  22nd March 2018

  The US Army’s 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) has received three UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in Wiesbaden, Germany. The UH-60M …

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 ...