• Military Logistics

  BAE Systems awarded JSS 2 contract

  19th December 2017

  BAE Systems has received a seven-year contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide combat systems support across the Royal Navy fleet, the …

• Special Operations

  ViaSat signs USSOCOM contract

  15th January 2018

  ViaSat has been awarded an IDIQ contract with US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for mission networking and communications equipment, sustainment and support services, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First SkyGuard1 aerostat set for testing

  19th January 2018

  Aero-T has produced the first SkyGuard1 tactical aerostat system, the company announced on 16 January. All system components have been successfully tested as part of …

• Defence Helicopter

  RAN bids farewell to Bravo helicopters

  6th December 2017

  The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has officially retired its S-70B-2 Seahawk Bravo helicopters with the last of the fleet handed over to the Australian War …

• Special Operations

  Green Berets strengthen cooperation in Japan

  15th January 2018

  A select group of US Army Green Berets strengthened cooperation with Japanese paratroopers via their participation in a mass airdrop at an exercise area adjoining …

• Military Logistics

  Embraer’s KC-390 achieves IOC

  28th December 2017

  Embraer’s KC-390 military transport and aerial refuelling aircraft has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the company announced on 20 …

• Military Logistics

  Three dead in Turkey military plane crash

  17th January 2018

  A Turkish military transport plane has crashed in southern Anatolia, claiming the lives of three army personnel on board, the Turkish Army announced on 17 …

• Training

  Inzpire supports Exercise Iron Dragon

  12th December 2017

  Inzpire has designed and delivered an experimental synthetic training exercise to 3rd Division (UK) headquarters at the Royal Air Force Air Battlespace Training Centre (ABTC) …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon receives Patriot contract

  11th January 2018

  Raytheon has received a $1.5 billion contract to provide additional Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense System capability for an undisclosed existing customer, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russian Navy receives modernised Ka-27M

  16th January 2018

  The modernised Ka-27M helicopters recently delivered to the Russian Navy are upping the capabilities of the shipborne aviation component of the navy's anti-submarine forces.The upgraded Ka-27M …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show 2018: Precision fire system for international SOF applications

  23rd January 2018

  Paradigm SRP has used the background venue of this week’s Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to demonstrate the capabilities …

• Special Operations

  Serbia looks to SOF reorganization

  29th December 2017

  Serbia is to consider a reorganisation of its Special Forces in order to handle emerging counter-terrorism (CT) tasks, a senior service office has disclosed.Speaking to …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Qatari Typhoon buy looms as an RAF threat

  22nd December 2017

  Qatar and the UK have signed a contract for the provision of 24 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft for the Qatari Air Force. This deal takes the …

• Military Logistics

  Dry dock reopens at Portsmouth

  20th December 2017

  The arrival of a new caisson at the Royal Navy’s Portsmouth Naval Base has enabled the reopening of a former dry dock for the first …

• Naval Warfare

  ADECS 2018: India’s silent arm progresses…slowly

  24th January 2018

  Having initiated its 30-year submarine-building plan two decades ago to raise operational and indigenous construction capabilities, modernisation of the Indian Navy (IN) underwater fleet has …

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 ...