• Defence Notes

  US apologises to Japan over military accidents

  9th January 2018

  The US has apologised to Japan following a recent series of accidents involving US military equipment, the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. US Secretary …

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO to upgrade UHF SATCOM control stations

  8th January 2018

  NATO has awarded ViaSat a contract to upgrade its ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM) control stations to comply with the Integrated Waveform (IW) baseline, …

• Land Warfare

  Saudi Patriot systems working overtime

  5th January 2018

  Saudi Arabia’s air defence capability, centred around the Patriot system, has been working overtime in recent months attempting to intercept a series of missile attacks …

• Defence Helicopter

  V-280 Valor makes maiden flight

  21st December 2017

  Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor tiltrotor prototype has successfully completed its first flight at the company's Amarillo assembly facility in Texas.  In a short video released …

• Training

  General Dynamics receives USAF DMOC contract

  11th December 2017

  General Dynamics Information Technology has received the Distributed Mission Operations Center (DMOC) – Infrastructure, Development and Engineering support contract from the US Air Force, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  European unmanned ambitions continue into 2018

  10th January 2018

  The European MALE RPAS project enters 2018 on schedule and on budget as industrial partners begin the development phase, Shephard understands. The three industry members, Airbus …

• Defence Notes

  Doubt cast over UK MoD efficiencies

  18th December 2017

  The UK Defence Committee has expressed its lack of confidence in the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) ability to realise extensive efficiency targets essential for the …

• Training

  India to acquire P-8I training solution

  5th January 2018

  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the procurement of a P-8I training solution, the Indian MoD announced on 4 January. The training solution …

• Digital Battlespace

  Qatar to acquire additional Rafale aircraft

  13th December 2017

  Qatar Emiri Air Force has signed an agreement with Dassault Aviation to acquire an additional 12 Rafale omnirole combat aircraft.The new aircraft will join the …

• Military Logistics

  NZ resolves ANZAC upgrade budget blowout…at a price

  14th December 2017

  Following a cost blowout on modernising the Royal New Zealand Navy’s (RNZN) two ANZAC-class frigates, the MoD announced on 13 December that a resolution had …

• Defence Helicopter

  Latvia orders two Leonardo AW119Kx

  4th January 2018

  Leonardo has received a contract from the State Border Guard of Latvia for two AW119Kx helicopters, the company announced on 2 January. The contract also …

• Defence Notes

  Philippines to protest China’s militarisation of reef

  9th January 2018

  The Philippines will lodge a diplomatic protest with China after Manila questioned if Beijing had reneged on a pledge not to militarise a disputed South …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: SEA pitches Decksim to international navies

  24th November 2017

  As interest in SEA's Decksim technology increases it will be demonstrating the latest developments to international navies at a meeting of the Maritime International Training Support …

• Military Logistics

  HMS Montrose returns to front-line service

  29th November 2017

  Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Montrose, has returned to front-line service at HM Naval Base (HNB) Devonport, Plymouth, after undergoing upgrades, it was announced …

• Training

  ESG launches new cyber security centre

  8th January 2018

  ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH (ESG) officially opened its new Cyber Simulation and Training Centre (CSTC) in Munich on 1 January. The company had been previously …

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 ...