• Naval Warfare

  Lürssen wins Australian OPV contract

  24th November 2017

  The Australian government announced that prime contractor Lürssen had won a design and construction contract for 12 OPVs for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ballard introduces new UAS fuel cell

  3rd January 2018

  Ballard Power Systems has developed a next generation fuel cell propulsion system to power UAS, that it will flight test for durability under a follow-on …

• Military Logistics

  RAF Marham transformation underway

  28th November 2017

  Works to prepare RAF Marham for the arrival of the F-35B next year are underway under Project Anvil, the Royal Air Force announced on 27 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Viasat, USAF complete Mini Crypto PPR

  11th December 2017

  Viasat has completed a production readiness review (PPR) of the Mini Crypto programme, for the development of an embeddable cryptographic module for military handheld devices …

• Military Logistics

  Oshkosh to upgrade army FHTV fleet

  3rd January 2018

  Oshkosh Defense has received an order from the US Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command to recapitalise vehicles from the US Army Reserves' Family of Heavy …

• Training

  QTS emulates UAS threat for Canadian navy

  5th December 2017

  QinetiQ Target Systems has carried out a service for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) where it emulated the threat posed to large naval vessels by …

• Digital Battlespace

  LGS Innovations, Persistent Systems partner up

  18th December 2017

  LGS Innovations has partnered with Persistent Systems to incorporate Persistent's Wave Relay mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) technology into LGS's portfolio of C4ISR, electronic warfare …

• Special Operations

  MARSOC expands canine combat medicine

  14th December 2017

  Operators from the US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) have become the first US Special Forces personnel to begin battlefield medicine training with …

• Digital Battlespace

  Indonesia equips pilots with GECO Air

  8th December 2017

  Inzpire’s GECO Air tablet-based mission system has entered into service with the Indonesian Air Force after successfully passing flight test, the company announced on 5 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon's GPS receiver tested aboard B-2

  7th December 2017

  The US Air Force (USAF) has tested its next-generation military-code Global Positioning System (GPS) using a Raytheon receiver aboard a B-2 Spirit aircraft, the company …

• Land Warfare

  Qatar steps up offensive capabilities with Chinese missiles

  20th December 2017

  Qatar appears to have acquired Chinese-built ballistic missiles, a move that has the potential to further escalate tensions with its Gulf neighbours. Images of the …

• Training

  PZL to modernise 130 Orlik TC-I trainers

  27th December 2017

  PZL Warszawa-Okęcie has received a contract to upgrade the Polish Air Force’s PZL 130 Orlik TC-I trainer aircraft fleet to the latest standard, Airbus announced …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: ADIZ in South China Sea unlikely for now say experts

  6th December 2017

  Last week the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) deployed J-11B fighters to Woody Island in the South China Sea. Simultaneously, Y-9 transport aircraft from …

• Defence Notes

  China's water dragon takes to the air

  29th December 2017

  China’s first large-scale amphibious aircraft took its maiden flight from the Jinwan Civil Aviation Airport, Zhuhai, in China’s southern Guangdong Province on 24 December . The …

• Training

  EDA helicopter COMAO course completed

  23rd November 2017

  The European Defence Agency’s (EDA's) second helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) planning course has successfully completed at Royal Air Force (RAF) base Linton-on-Ouse, the EDA …

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 ...