• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Shadow UAS sustainment continues for Italy, US

  8th December 2017

  Italy will look to maintain its current Shadow V2 fleet through the next decade after awarding an $8.1 million sustainment contract to Textron Systems Unmanned …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: London’s latest SDSR review attempts to square the defence circle

  10th November 2017

  The UK has adopted a policy of conducting a Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) every five years. The process aims to review commitments, ensure …

• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: Thales signs MoU with Thai DTI

  7th November 2017

  Thales and the Defence Technology Institute (DTI), the Thai Ministry of Defence’s research and development agency, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 6 November …

• Digital Battlespace

  Gentex receives LEP Threat Spectacles contract

  8th November 2017

  Gentex has been contracted by the US Navy to develop Laser Eye Protection (LEP) Threat Spectacles for pilots. The contract will see the company design, …

• Land Warfare

  Australian steel for Rheinmetall Boxer bid

  25th October 2017

  Bisalloy Steel Group will develop and produce high performance armour steel for the Rheinmetall Boxer vehicle should it be selected for Australia’s Land 400 Phase …

• Land Warfare

  Russia delivers first T-90s to Vietnam

  15th November 2017

  The first deliveries of the T-90S/SK MBTs for the Vietnamese army have already been made it was revealed on 7 November by Mikhail Petikhov, Deputy …

• Naval Warfare

  D&S 2017: Chinese floats whole submarine family for export

  6th November 2017

  Chinese companies were out in force at Defense & Security 2017 in Bangkok, including the China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company (CSOC). Most prominent on …

• Land Warfare

  Milipol Paris 2017: Beretta unveils new PMX submachine-gun

  23rd November 2017

  Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) unveiled its new PMX 9x19 mm submachine-gun (SMG) at the Milipol internal security exhibition near Paris. Development work on the PMX …

• Training

  Additional DTCS simulators for ADF

  24th October 2017

  Rockwell Collins Australia has been awarded a AUD$40 million ($31.25 million) contract to deliver eight new Digital Terminal Control System (DTCS) simulators to improve the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Saab to deliver additional Sea Giraffe radars

  28th November 2017

  Saab has received an additional order from General Dynamics for delivery of its Sea Giraffe AMB naval radar for the US Navy’s Independence-class Littoral Combat …

• Defence Helicopter

  Seahawks needed yesterday, says frustrated Indian Navy

  7th December 2017

  The Indian Navy (IN) is exasperated. Years of procrastination and delays in awarding a contract for 16 S-70B multirole helicopters (MRH), an RfP for which …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Lockheed outlines training strategy (video)

  29th November 2017

  At this year's I/ITSEC exhibition in Orlando, Florida, Shephard spoke to Lockheed Martin about the company's presence at the show and how it is evolving cost-effective …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: CAE takes I-LVC to next level (video)

  28th November 2017

  At this year's I/ITSEC, simulation and training company CAE will carry out two I-LVC demonstrations at the Orlando show in collaboration with Rockwell Collins. The …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: US Army trials digital sandbox

  30th November 2017

  The US Army Research Laboratory continues to advance its Augmented Reality Sandtable (ARES), which is aiming to give soldiers greater battlefield visualisation compared with older …

• Training

  UK MoD extends CAE helicopter training

  26th October 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investing more than £90 million in helicopter training for Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots, the MoD …

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 ...