• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Rockwell gains Hawkeye contract

  21st November 2017

  The US Navy has selected Rockwell Collins for its new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Tactics Trainer the company announced on 20 November. The initial contract is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Anzac-class frigates to get radar upgrade

  6th October 2017

  CEA Technologies has been awarded a contract worth AUD$148 million to provide a new air search radar, known as the CEAFAR2-L, for the Royal Australian …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2017: Nimr scores first Asian customer (video)

  7th November 2017

  Tactical ground vehicle specialist Nimr Automotive has secured its first export contract outside the Middle East in a deal to provide its Long Range Special Operations …

• Naval Warfare

  HC-27J APO receives final C-27J Spartan

  26th October 2017

  The HC-27J Asset Project Office (APO) has received the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) 14th and final C-27J Spartan surveillance aircraft following regeneration from storage.The 14 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Middle East helicopter programmes (video)

  11th November 2017

  In advance of the Dubai Airshow, Shephard Media looks at several key helicopter procurements across the wider region.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Reaper Block 5s enter combat

  23rd October 2017

  As the US Air Force (USAF) transitions to new Block 5 MQ-9 Reaper UAS, the aircraft continues to operate in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Fury given engine endurance boost

  19th November 2017

  Lockheed Martin's Fury UAS now boasts an endurance of 15 continuous flight hours owing to a newly integrated 1803 engine. Announcing the UAV engine upgrades …

• Defence Helicopter

  Korean Air, Boeing team for Chinook upgrade

  24th October 2017

  Korean Air and Boeing have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the two companies partner to target the Republic of Korea (ROK) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Dubai Airshow 2017: UAS Summit (video)

  14th November 2017

  At the first day of the UAS Summit at the Dubai Airshow, speakers discussed the integration of unmanned systems in the civil and military sectors …

• Defence Helicopter

  V-280 completes 75 degree conversion

  15th November 2017

  The Bell V-280 Valor prototype aircraft has successfully achieved controlled conversion from 95- to 75-degree pylon and back — allowing for full hover and low …

• Special Operations

  Pentagon to identify specialised CT opportunities

  16th November 2017

  The US Department of Defense Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) has announced an upcoming Advance Planning Briefing for Industry (APBI) along with specific focus areas …

• Training

  Dubai Airshow 2017: FAT begins on UAE Northstar 407 MRH

  14th November 2017

  With CAE providing the UAE Joint Aviation Command with a suite of helicopter simulators and training devices for the NorthStar Aviation 407MRH and Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk, …

• Defence Notes

  Former UK defence chiefs warn of significant capability gaps

  14th November 2017

  Assumptions made by the UK Ministry of Defence during the 2010 and 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Reviews (SDSR) could leave the country exposed to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  D&S 2017: Chinese cargo UAV takes to the sky

  30th October 2017

  A Chinese cargo-carrying UAV named the AT200, based on a commercially-available single-engine turboprop, performed a 26-minute maiden test flight in Weinan, Shaanxi Province on 26 …

• Special Operations

  New vehicles on display in Bahrain

  27th October 2017

  The Bahrain Royal Guard Special Forces has unveiled a new 4x4 long-range patrol vehicle, based on the Toyota Land Cruiser chassis and assembled in-country.  Shown …

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 ...