• Defence Helicopter

  MANPADS threat pushes AMPS development

  4th July 2017

  BIRD Aerosystems has further developed its Airborne Missile Protection System (AMPS) and Aeroshield Pod due to the increased proliferation of MANPADS, the company told Shephard at the Paris …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE, Leonardo partner on precision-guided munitions

  3rd July 2017

  BAE Systems and Leonardo are partnering to develop new precision-guided munitions for use with large-calibre weapon systems, BAE Systems announced on 28 June. The programme …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rostec unveils naval weapon system Pantsir-ME

  3rd July 2017

  Rostec subsidiary Tula KBP has introduced Pantsir-ME, a naval missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon, Rostec announced on 28 June.  The weapon system is designed to provide …

• Defence Helicopter

  Strong prospects for Airbus Helicopters Romania

  3rd July 2017

  Airbus Helicopters remains confident in the potential of its subsidiary company in Romania, Airbus Helicopters Romania and its sister entity, Airbus Helicopters Industries, which is …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus H145 gets increased payload capacity

  3rd July 2017

  Airbus Helicopters is offering its H145 twin-engine light utility helicopter with Alternate Gross Weight (AGW) of 3,800kg, the company announced on 28 June. The optional increase …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA, Naval Group partner to navalise T180 UAV

  3rd July 2017

  ECA Group has partnered with Naval Group to prepare its IT180 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for integration on ships, it was announced …

• Defence Notes

  Raytheon makes out like a bandit in Taiwan

  3rd July 2017

  There was nothing new in the first arms package released by the Trump administration that Taiwan did not already have in its inventory, beyond some …

• Special Operations

  Sniper evolution behind record shot

  30th June 2017

  Canadian snipers have gained a world-leading reputation and now account for three of the top five world record shots following news of their latest feat. …

• Land Warfare

  Spain finally nears Pizarro conclusion

  30th June 2017

  The Spanish Army expects to begin qualification trials of its new Pizarro armoured engineering vehicle (AEV) by February 2019, with deliveries of all platforms likely …

• Naval Warfare

  HII to build Flight III DDG 125

  30th June 2017

  The Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has been awarded a contract modification by the US Navy to incorporate the Flight III upgrades to …

• Military Logistics

  Battelle wins $20 million US Army contract

  30th June 2017

  Battelle has received a five-year contract worth $20 million to help the US Army combat support and services achieve technical breakthroughs and overcome sustainment challenges, …

• Defence Notes

  Singapore reorganises military to fight terrorism

  30th June 2017

  Terrorism is the Singapore Ministry of Defence’s (MINDEF) top priority, and it has taken numerous measures to defend the island across all spectrums. Defence Minister …

• Land Warfare

  Orbital ATK demos MK44 Bushmaster Chain Gun

  30th June 2017

  Orbital ATK has successfully demonstrated its MK44 Bushmaster Chain Gun by firing a variety of both 30mm and 40mm ammunition during the company’s Bushmaster User …

• Defence Helicopter

  SKCG receives Second S-92 helicopter

  30th June 2017

  The South Korea Coast Guard (SKCG) has received its second S-92 search and rescue helicopter from Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin announced on 27 June. The unit will …

• Defence Helicopter

  Apache Helicopter fires high-energy laser

  29th June 2017

  A high-energy laser mounted on an Apache AH-64 attack helicopter acquired and hit an unmanned target during a recent firing test conducted at White Sands …

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 ...