• Digital Battlespace

  ViaSat receives MIDS JTRS contract

  29th June 2017

  ViaSat will supply Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) to the US Navy and US Air Force (USAF) under a $88.3 …

• Training

  Beechcraft T-6C achieves EASA certification

  29th June 2017

  Beechcraft’s T-6C military trainer aircraft has achieved European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification, Textron Aviation Defense announced on 26 June. The certification will support configuration …

• Defence Helicopter

  German armed forces receives final H145M

  29th June 2017

  Airbus Helicopters has delivered the 15th and final H145M multi-role helicopter to the German armed forces (Bundeswehr), the company announced on 26 June.  Stationed in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Guardian sale could signal US policy change

  29th June 2017

  The White House approved the sale of 22 non-weaponised MQ-9B Guardian UAVs to India on 21 June, perhaps signalling a policy shift in terms of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saab’s IDAS for H225M Caracal helicopters

  28th June 2017

  Saab will supply its Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) to Airbus Helicopters for use on H225M Caracal multi-role utility aircraft, the company announced on 23 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USAF Block 50 GCS passes CDR

  28th June 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has successfully completed the critical design review (CDR) of the US Air Force’s (USAF) Advanced Cockpit Block 50 Ground Control Station …

• Defence Helicopter

  Paris Air Show: Striker II from testbed to head

  28th June 2017

  BAE Systems showcased for the first time a new modified version of its Striker II Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) at Paris Air Show last week. …

• Defence Helicopter

  PLA to parade prowess in Hong Kong

  28th June 2017

  During President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Hong Kong on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the territory’s reversion to Chinese rule, the Hong …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus Helicopters receives H125, H215 orders

  28th June 2017

  Airbus Helicopters Japan has received contracts from Akagi Helicopter and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for the supply of one H125 single-engine helicopter and one …

• Special Operations

  New battlefield medical techniques saving lives

  28th June 2017

  As battlefield medicine continues to progress, new medical techniques being developed are now saving patients previously thought unlikely to survive. One such procedure, called REBOA …

• Digital Battlespace

  Star SAFIRE 380-HD for USCG HC-27J

  27th June 2017

  FLIR Systems has received a $17.9 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to supply 19  systems for the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) HC-27J surveillance aircraft fleet, …

• Military Logistics

  Leonardo wins NATO ALIS contract

  27th June 2017

  Leonardo has been selected to provide logistic and support services for the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, the company announced on 21 June. Under …

• Digital Battlespace

  Paris Air Show: Variety spices up special mission aircraft

  27th June 2017

  Various companies were at this year’s Paris Air Show showcasing their intelligence-gathering special mission aircraft with one theme in particular seeming to take precedent; the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Counter-UAS options continue to grow

  27th June 2017

  The increasing popularity of drones, in all shapes and sizes, has brought to light a whole assortment of new security threats, including the growing hazard …

• Digital Battlespace

  Orbital ATK tests ShotFinder on fixed-wing aircraft

  27th June 2017

  Orbital ATK has successfully tested the ShotFinder Acoustic Hostile-Fire Indication System on a fixed-wing aircraft, the company announced on 21 June. Testing on a Cessna …

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 ...