• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Triton takes to the skies

  14th November 2023

  Australia has ordered four Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAS which can operate as an uncrewed maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) alongside the country’s in-service Boeing P-8A MPA fleet.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: Lockheed Martin launches latest version of Prepar3D training solution

  28th November 2023

  This latest release of Prepar3D offers improvements in realism and efficiency, catering to training scenarios across aviation, maritime and ground domains, according to Lockheed Martin.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan unveils new FFM frigate with advanced anti-air warfare capabilities

  15th November 2023

  Japan’s ATLA procurement and logistics organisation was present in strength at the Indo-Pacific 2023 exhibition in Sydney from 7-9 November indicating an uplift in the country’s engagement with Australia.

• Training

  Philippines joins ANNUALEX Indo-Pacific naval exercise as observer as tensions rise in the region

  13th November 2023

  Annual Exercise (ANNUALEX), a multinational naval exercise including participants from Australia, Canada, Japan and the US, started on 11 November and will involve 30 ships and 40 aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  LCAC 100 project yet to achieve IOC as E-SLEP gets underway

  20th November 2023

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) project that is procuring new Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vessels for its amphibious ships has still to attain an. Meanwhile the Extended-Service Life Extension Programme (E-SLEP) for legacy LCAC vessels is ramping up deliveries.

• Training

  Trilateral autonomous undersea warfare exercise tightens the bonds of AUKUS

  10th November 2023

  The Integrated Battle Problem 23-3 exercise brought together Australian, UK and US naval forces test to autonomous undersea warfare capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  Super Hornet becomes first US Navy aircraft to carry StormBreaker

  8th November 2023

  Raytheon has announced that the US Navy carried the StormBreaker smart weapon on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet following the US Air Force’s lead with the F-15E Strike Eagle.

• Naval Warfare

  Singapore orders new OPVs for renewed maritime security force

  21st November 2023

  The Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has ordered new Offshore Patrol Vessels from German shipbuilder Fassmer to modernise its maritime security forces.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy finally funds naval missile projects

  17th November 2023

  The Italian MoD’s multi-year programme documents (DPP) detailing its current and planned acquisition projects has provided new details of funding for its 2023–25 naval missile programmes.

• Air Warfare

  Germany selects consortium to develop key SCAF technologies and ‘remote carriers’

  1st November 2023

  A signed contract between Airbus, FCMS and MBDA will focus on technology maturation, with an emphasis on complementary basic technologies for NGWS and the Future Combat Air System use from 2040.

• Land Warfare

  The Abrams tank: US heavy metal looks set to roll on for decades (updated 2024)

  19th January 2024

  The Abrams tank has been the mainstay of US battle groups for decades and looks set to continue its substantive role beyond 2050. Further upgrades have been proposed for the in-demand MBT as plans are unveiled for a substantially updated new version.

• Naval Warfare

  Second Jan Mayen-class OPV handed over to Norway

  2nd November 2023

  The new KV Bjørnøya OVP represents a critical component of Norway's commitment to enhancing its maritime security and replacing its ageing vessels with modern ones.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan accelerates procurement of Tomahawk missiles

  10th October 2023

  Faced by a rough neighbourhood, Japan is accelerating plans to obtain Tomahawk cruise missiles.

• Air Warfare

  Shield AI successfully demonstrates autonomous teaming with V-BAT UAS

  31st August 2023

  Shield AI has completed an autonomous teaming demonstration using three V-BAT UAS, showcasing their Hivemind AI pilot and paving the way for deployable teaming capabilities in GPS-denied environments.

• Air Warfare

  US Army launches Textron Beechcraft turboprop acquisition for Peru and Ecuador

  8th November 2023

  The three Textron Beechcraft turboprops will perform maritime patrol missions for Peru and Ecuador.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | ULTRA [US]

  The USAF, and more specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has invested in the ULTRA aircraft from DZYNE Technologies, with the drone possibly developed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | ULTRA [US]

  The USAF, and more specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has invested in the ULTRA aircraft from DZYNE Technologies, with the drone possibly developed ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) [US]

  Background  Origins The development programme has its origins in the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative signed between the nations in 2006 and renewed in 2015. This ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ULTRA [US]

  Background Origins The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) conceived and developed the aircraft with DZYNE Technologies. According to The War ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) [India]

  Background  Origins The development programme has its origins in the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative signed between the nations in 2006 and renewed in 2015. This ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  PROSUB - SSN [Brazil]

  Programme Background Following the successful delivery of the four Riachuelo-class SSK, which is due to all enter service between 2020 and 2023, the construction of ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS) [USN]

  Background Requirements The EMS is based on the Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel, featuring a catamaran design, providing hospital-level care, with three operating rooms, as well as ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Hybrid Tiger

  Manufactured by the Naval Research Laboratory, the Hybrid Tiger is an electric UAV. As its name suggests, the platform features a hybrid power generation unit. ...

• Air: UAS radar

  RASAR

  The real-time, autonomous, synthetic aperture radar (RASAR) is a self-contained radar designed for installation under the wing of UAS for counter-IED and FOPEN (Foliage Penetration) missions. It is ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  SA-400 Jackal

  The SA-400 Jackal is a heavy-payload-capability, long-endurance VTOL UAS that had its first flight in 2013. It is an optionally piloted vehicle, so it can ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Outlaw SeaHunter

  Outlaw UAVs are used by military and research agencies for training, testing, data collection and system development. In the 114-137kg maximum take-off weight class, SeaHunter ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ShadowHawk

  The ShadowHawk is a VTOL UAV that can be transported and launched/recovered within a small area. The ShadowHawk is able to maintain aerial surveillance at ...

• Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Havoc

  Havoc is a MALE modular payload UAS designed for customers with varying missions and payload requirements. Features include tool-less assembly, rolling take-off and landing and ...

• Military - USVs

  MAST

  The Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) was developed by ASV Global and Roke Manor Research under funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Shyena/TAL

  Shyena, also known as TAL (The Advanced Light Torpedo), is an Indian lightweight anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (affiliated to ...

• Subsystems: software

  SWARM

  CHI Systems worked with Lockheed Martin on a programme for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to build software models that imitate human behaviour, and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Bat

  Northrop Grumman is developing the Bat family of medium-altitude, multi-mission UAS. The company announced two variants of the UAS (3.7m and 4.3m) and a rotary-wing ...

• Light UGVs

  Dragon Runner

  The Dragon Runner UGV, manufactured by QinitiQ, has two versions: the Dragon Runner 10 (DR10) and the slightly larger Dragon Runner 20 (DR20). All Dragon ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  CLS-200

  The CLS-200 is part of the Yates Electrospace Corporation Silent Arrow family. It is a powered cargo-carrying one-use UAV, based on the company's GD-2000 glider.  In ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  XQ-67A

  In February 2024, GA-ASI first released images of the XQ-67A, a drone developed under a contract for thge USAF's Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) developmental programme. It ...

• Light UGVs

  Jackal

  Launched in September 2014, Clearpath Robotics' Jackal is a small, portable, integrated and weatherproof UGV. It has been built on a metal chassis and has four wheels ...