• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo’s SW-4 takes off solo

  5th March 2018

  Leonardo’s SW-4 Solo optionally piloted helicopter (OPH) has successfully completed its maiden flight with no safety pilot onboard at Taranto-Grottaglie Airport in Italy, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAE RQ-1E flies at UMEX

  6th March 2018

  A UAE armed forces' RQ-1E UAS has taken part in the live display at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems …

• Naval Warfare

  Bahrain receives upgraded Al Manama ship

  25th January 2018

  Leonardo has delivered the first of six upgraded Al Manama naval vessels to the Royal Bahrain Naval Force, the company announced on 23 January. The …

• Land Warfare

  Switzerland eyes new soldier kit, retires artillery

  9th March 2018

  The Swiss government has outlined a requirement for updated clothing and equipment for its soldiers in its new armament programme, released last month. Switzerland’s 2018 …

• Defence Helicopter

  German Air Force nears modernisation decision

  6th February 2018

  The German Air Force helicopter fleet will be experiencing a dramatic change in the next few years as the heavy helicopter project (STH) comes to …

• Defence Notes

  Singapore Airshow 2018: RSAF aircraft on display (video)

  6th February 2018

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is showcasing many of its aircraft at the Singapore Airshow including the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, the Sikorsky S-70B …

• Digital Battlespace

  EO/IR Special Report: Elbit eyes Brightnite opportunities in Asia-Pacific

  12th February 2018

  Elbit Systems is pushing its Brightnite EO/IR capability to a number of potential customers in the Asia Pacific, with the region’s changeable climate and high …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky's year of flight for FVL

  7th March 2018

  As the US Army deliberates its Future Vertical Lift (FVL) development timeline, Sikorsky said it will be ready to pitch one of two options based …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2018: Malaysian MD 530G deliveries imminent (video)

  1st March 2018

  Deliveries of the first MD 530G attack helicopters to the Malaysian Army are set to begin in June, with all six units on order to …

• Training

  ADECS 2018: Thailand’s first T-50TH trainers arrive home

  29th January 2018

  The first two Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50TH trainer jets for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) belatedly arrived in Thailand on 25 January, after …

• Defence Notes

  Egyptian Army announces major anti-jihadist operation

  9th February 2018

  The Egyptian Army announced the launch of a major operation against jihadists across swathes of territory including the Sinai Peninsula, heart of a persistent Islamic …

• Digital Battlespace

  RUAG to provide TAN router to NATO

  2nd March 2018

  RUAG Defence has received a contract to provide its Tactical Access Node (TAN) to NATO, the company announced on 22 February. The order marks the …

• Military Logistics

  Eccrine Systems receives SBIR Phase II contract

  6th February 2018

  Eccrine Systems has received an SBIR Phase II contract from the US Air Force for a project involving the monitoring and real-time measurement of specific …

• Digital Battlespace

  Safran’s INS for Dutch submarines

  6th February 2018

  Safran Electronics and Defense’s inertial navigation system (INS) has been selected for the Royal Netherlands Navy's Walrus class submarines, the company announced on 1 February. …

• Defence Notes

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Lightning strikes twice in Singapore

  8th February 2018

  The defence equipment creating the most excitement at Singapore Airshow 2018 is probably the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter, with a pair of USMC …

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 ...