• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-8B Fire Scout in two-part demo

  18th August 2017

  A detachment from the US Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 has carried out a two part exercise with the MQ-8B Fire Scout UAS, Northrop …

• Defence Helicopter

  India to place order for six Apaches

  18th August 2017

  Boeing is set to receive a $651 million order from India, with the Ministry of Defence clearing a proposal to procure six AH-64E Apache helicopters …

• Digital Battlespace

  Taiwan unveils airborne AESA radar

  18th August 2017

  Taiwan’s state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has unveiled a new airborne active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Unveiled at the biennial …

• Training

  MASS supports UK training exercise

  16th August 2017

  Cohort company MASS has supported the planning and implementation of a major UK Joint Forces Command (JFC) exercise at a military base in Cornwall, the …

• Training

  Rockwell’s VDS for French PC-21 simulators

  14th August 2017

  Rockwell Collins has received a contract from CAE to provide visual display systems (VDS) for the French Air Force’s Pilatus PC-21 simulators, the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  Analysis: Frantic year for military helicopter market

  10th August 2017

  While progress has continued across US military helicopter programmes, one platform that has garnered its share of headlines this side of 2017 has been the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thailand to upgrade more F-5 fighters

  4th August 2017

  The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has asked the government for approval to upgrade four of its ageing Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters, including new …

• Training

  BAE delivers first Hawk trainers to Oman

  3rd August 2017

  BAE Systems has delivered the first Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers to the Royal Air Force of Oman, the company announced on 31 July. The two Mark …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ADF signs Wasp AE contract

  28th July 2017

  AeroVironment has formally signed contracts to deliver its Wasp AE UAS to the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the company announced on 25 July. AeroVironment will …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus announces safety measure for Tiger pilots

  8th September 2017

  Airbus Helicopters has issued an alert service bulletin (ASB) in relation to Tiger pilots changing from autopilot to manual operation during challenging environments. The safety …

• Naval Warfare

  MSPO 2017: Shipbuilders continue to position for Orka programme

  7th September 2017

  European manufacturers continue to jostle for Poland’s ongoing Orka programme, which will see a new class of three submarines constructed for the Polish Navy. The …

• Defence Notes

  Saab, Adani team for Gripen E

  6th September 2017

  Saab and Adani Group will collaborate to produce Gripen E fighter jets for India should the aircraft be selected by the Indian government, Saab announced …

• Defence Notes

  South Korean defence budget set for boost

  31st August 2017

  Alarmed by Kim Jong-un’s shenanigans across the border, Seoul announced on 29 August that it proposed to boost defence spending next year by 6.9% to …

• Defence Helicopter

  HAL begins production of LCH

  31st August 2017

  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched the production of the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), HAL announced on 28 August. The …

• Military Logistics

  Honeywell partners with Taiwan on C-130 upgrade

  17th August 2017

  Honeywell will offer Taiwan’s state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) with technology transfer options for the Taiwan air force’s C-130H Avionics Modernisation Programme (AMP). The …

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 ...