• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: Hensoldt revealed XPeller (video)

  6th September 2017

  As the misuse of small UAVs become an increased threat, Hensoldt spoke to Shephard about its counter UAS system, the XpellerTM, earlier in 2017.

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to build two CH-53K

  5th September 2017

  Lockheed Martin has received a Low Rate Initial Production Lot 1 contract worth $304 million from the US Naval Air Systems Command to build two …

• Naval Warfare

  Germany, Norway sub cooperation green lit

  22nd August 2017

  Germany and Norway have sealed the deal on the intention to cooperate on future naval defence equipment, including the procurement of new submarines. The two …

• Naval Warfare

  New UK Border Force vessels operational by 2018

  22nd August 2017

  Two additional coastal patrol vessels (CPV) for the UK Border Force will be operational by 2018 and compliment four similar craft already in service. Once …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed’s AN/APR-52 RWR achieves TRL 6

  18th August 2017

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/APR-52 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) for the US Air Force (USAF) Combat Rescue Helicopter programme has achieved Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6 assessment. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AFRL testing highly-efficient diesel aircraft engine

  15th August 2017

  The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Advanced Power Technology Office has completed a ground test series on a new highly-efficiency diesel aircraft engine, the US …

• Training

  British forces prepare for HMS Queen Elizabeth

  9th August 2017

  UK Royal Navy and Royal Marine vessels and personnel are taking part in NATO Exercise Saxon Warrior off the coast of Scotland as part of …

• Special Operations

  Nigerian Air Force begins training special forces unit

  7th August 2017

  The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has begun training a new group of Special Forces (SF) in conjunction with an Israeli contractor, it was announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Maritime Harop munition unveiled

  12th September 2017

  IAI has unveiled its latest iteration of its loitering munition, the Maritime Harop, at DSEI 2017 in London. The Maritime Harop is a long endurance …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2017: Chinook to stay in UK's future fleet

  12th September 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is in talks with the US Army in relation to standing up a new variant of the Chinook, a senior …

• Training

  Cubic to develop combat training centres

  8th September 2017

  Cubic Global Defense has received a contract worth more than $25 million from an undisclosed customer in the Asia-Pacific region for the delivery of three …

• Land Warfare

  Koalitsiya-SV testing on track

  7th September 2017

  Testing of the Russian Army’s new Koalitsiya-SV artillery gun will be completed in 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 4 September. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MSPO 2017: Raptor hoverbike draws attention

  5th September 2017

  Defence shows and exhibitions often showcase unexpected platforms or designs to the visiting public and VIPs, occasionally presenting a system or technology that flies in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI opens new FTTC hangar

  4th September 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has opened its new Flight Test and Training Centre (FTTC) hangar at the Grand Sky Unmanned Aircraft System Business Park …

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan’s coast guard outlines 10-year buildup

  29th August 2017

  Taiwan’s Executive Yuan approved the Coast Guard Administration’s TWD$50 billion ($1.7 billion) ‘Forward-looking Vessels Buildup Plan’ on 23 August, which will see 141 cutters – …

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 ...