• Defence Notes

  Opinion: China goes to the Poles

  14th February 2018

  China’s extravagant territorial claims in the South China Sea, its testing of Japanese resolve around the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and its gradual operational expansion into the …

• Military Logistics

  LAV-25 A2 in airdrop testing

  29th January 2018

  The US Army is conducting airdrop certification testing on the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV-25 A2), it was announced on 25 January. The introduction of the …

• Military Logistics

  Singapore Airshow 2018: India leads regional charge for aerial tankers

  29th January 2018

  Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are acquiring, or considering the purchase of, air-to-air refuellers, with India releasing an RfI worth more than $2 billion …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia’s Southern MD receives two Ka-52s

  25th January 2018

  The helicopter regiment of the Russian armed forces’ Southern Military District (MD) has received two Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  EO/IR Special Report: Lockheed Martin promotes IRST sensors

  14th February 2018

  Lockheed Martin was promoting its Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensors for regional fighters in the Asia-Pacific region at Singapore Airshow 2018.  Paul Lemmo, vice president …

• Land Warfare

  Israeli warplanes hit Gaza after new rocket attack

  19th February 2018

  Israeli warplanes hit Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early on 19 February after a rocket fired by Palestinians slammed into southern Israel, the army …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow 2018: India plans ballistic protection for under-fire helicopters

  29th January 2018

  India is looking at the procurement and installation of lightweight fibre-based armour plating in the cargo compartments of seven Mi-17V-5 helicopters under a national competitive …

• Digital Battlespace

  EO/IR Special Report: Hensoldt expands Asia footprint

  20th February 2018

  When Airbus Group took the decision to concentrate on its core aviation-related business lines, a number of divisions were cut free to fend for themselves.  …

• Naval Warfare

  ADECS 2018: Piracy report released

  23rd January 2018

  A new annual international piracy report issued by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and covering 2017, indicated that …

• Digital Battlespace

  Telos to support USAF’s enterprise environments

  22nd January 2018

  Telos has been selected to provide risk management and compliance automation support to the US Air Force’s Enterprise NIPRNet and SIPRNet environments, the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  ADECS 2018: RSAF seeks CH-47 simulator (video)

  24th January 2018

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is in need of a CH-47F Chinook simulator to help train its pilots. The RSAF currently operates six …

• Training

  US DoD V-22 sim upgrade plans

  22nd January 2018

  The US DoD’s Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division has placed a $34.9 million order for the upgrade of its CV-22 and MV-22 synthetic …

• Training

  Qatar boosts Hawk trainer purchase

  17th January 2018

  Qatar intends to increase its purchase of Hawk training aircraft from BAE Systems, the country's defence minister has announced. Speaking at the Royal United Services …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Subaru opens UH-X maintenance facility

  29th January 2018

  The Subaru Corporation (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) announced the completion of an aviation MRO facility at its Utsunomiya plant on 18 January. Its floor area …

• Defence Helicopter

  IAF examines helicopter pilots’ performance under threat

  26th January 2018

  Israeli Air Force helicopter crew have carried out an exercise for conducting operations under duress. Combat and transport helicopter squadrons took part in the exercise, …

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 ...