• Naval Warfare

  Are Australia’s SSN ambitions ‘sub-optimal’? (Opinion)

  20th March 2023

  Some describe Australia's SSN plans as marking the country's coming of age, but there are still too many questions whether it will work out the way planners imagine.

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA nets new contract for Saudi CAMM missiles

  11th May 2023

  The US Navy has awarded MBDA a $19.6 million contract modification to produce Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMM) to equip Saudi Arabia's future Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy experiments ship Patrick Blackett gets into its stride

  22nd May 2023

  Having already embarked two experimental capabilities and achieved certification, the UK RN's research ship XV Patrick Blackett is expanding the horizon for the navy's efforts to test and trial new technologies.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan commissions its second Taigei-class submarine

  23rd March 2023

  Japan has inducted its second Taigei-class submarine, amidst plans to boost counterstrike capabilities with new, longer-range missiles.

• Air Warfare

  India seeks additional armaments for MH-60R fleet

  6th April 2023

  Additional missiles and torpedoes are on the cards to equip India's incoming fleet of MH-60R multi-mission helicopters.

• Naval Warfare

  US lacks clear plan to meet amphibious ship requirements, Marine Corps chief says

  30th March 2023

  Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee during a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the USN and USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen David Berger said there was 'no plan' for the US to meet its statutory minimum requirements for amphibious warships.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Navantia, SAES and Perseo to jointly develop line of uncrewed underwater vehicles

  22nd May 2023

  At FEINDEF in Madrid, Navantia, SAES and Perseo announced an intention to develop a line of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).

• Naval Warfare

  Philippine frigates progressively advance operational capability

  9th May 2023

  A couple of years into their service, the Philippine Navy continues to improve and test its two South Korean-built frigates.

• Naval Warfare

  SEA nets Royal Navy in-service support contract

  12th May 2023

  Under a new contract with the UK MoD, SEA will provide in-service support for the Combat System Highway (CSH) on UK RN ships for five years.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force needs over 200 B-21 bombers, expert argues as maiden flight faces delays

  23rd March 2023

  The first flight of Northrop Grumman's B-21 Raider stealth bomber has been delayed, while experts argue the US Air Force is in need of more than 300 bombers as tensions heighten across the globe.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  TAI debuts Anka-3 flying wing combat drone

  27th March 2023

  The UCAV is designed to operate alongside crewed fighter jets such as Turkey’s future TF-X.

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX 2023: Rafael offers ships laser air defence capability with Naval Iron Beam development

  2nd May 2023

  Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is working to navalise the Iron Beam high-energy laser weapon giving ships another option to defeat incoming threats.

• Training

  Boeing ‘100% believes’ in T-7 jet despite critical GAO report and persisting programme delays

  31st May 2023

  Issues with the T-7A Red Hawk include risks of canopy fragmentation and high g-forces during ejection which have caused delays and require further design revisions. Boeing is working to address these concerns while emphasising the safety and performance improvements of the jet.

• Naval Warfare

  Colombia's COTECMAR commences construction of new OPV

  10th May 2023

  The Colombian shipbuilding corporation COTECMAR has started the construction of an OPV as the first platform as part of an order for three new ships.

• Naval Warfare

  Pakistan receives final Chinese-built Type 054A/P frigates

  12th May 2023

  China has completed delivery of four multipurpose frigates to the Pakistan Navy.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (13-76) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (10-12) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements -  Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (India)

  Programme Background On 25 February 2020, a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60Rs, worth approximately $2.12 billion, was signed by India and the US in Delhi. ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (1-9) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

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

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• Trainer

  Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS)/T-45 Replacement [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy’s (USN) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme is intended to replace the troubled T-45 Goshhawk trainer. The June 2024 RFI includes ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles

  Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

  The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship and land-attack missile. The original name was the Nytt sjømålsmissil, but this was later dropped ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Low Band Transmitter

  The Low Band Transmitter-Antenna Group (LBT-AG), developed by Cobham, has been in production since 2005. The LBT is designed to protect strike aircraft, ships and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed to perform naval strike missions for the USN. The primary mission for the F/A-18E/F is a strike fighter that ...

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

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

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

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, BAE Systems Australia unveiled a Guided Missile variant of the Hunter-class frigate (ASW). Compared to the baseline ASW configuration, the proposed ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Destroyers

  Zumwalt Class

  The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class is formed by a series of next-generation multi-role destroyers 21st century. They were designed to host the latest in sensors and weapons ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 212CD

  Norway is to get four new Type 212CD ‘common design’ submarines to replace the existing Ula-class SSKs after it selected German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SCOTT

  The Synthetic Cognition for Operational Team Training (SCOTT) system was developed for the USN to train teamwork and communication skills for E-2C flight crews interfacing ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class FFG(X)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

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

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS

  The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS is a developmental cargo-carrying platform heavily based on the Skyways commercial available V2.5 Hybrid-Electric UAS.  Following a 2019 industry event, the Naval ...