• Training

  Paris Air Show: UK leads the way in synthetic wrap

  22nd June 2017

  Following the award of a $35 million Area Weapons Effects Simulation (AWES) upgrade contract to Cubic Global Defense earlier this year by the UK MOD, …

• Defence Notes

  MBDA seeks munition revolution

  22nd June 2017

  European missile house MBDA has unveiled a new family of gliding smart munitions, but officials played down suggestions it could compete as a Small Diameter …

• Military Logistics

  Dry dock brings strategic succour to Indian Navy

  22nd June 2017

  A $71 million floating dock (FDNavy-2) built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T;) at its Kattupalli yard near Chennai will considerably improve dry dock slot constraints …

• Defence Notes

  Paris Air Show: F-35 makes its debut (video)

  21st June 2017

  The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II made its Paris Air Show debut and first flight demonstration to the public at Le Bourget.  Alan Norman, chief test …

• Training

  Paris Air Show: CAE sets a record

  21st June 2017

  On 31 May, CAE released its end of year financial results. By any standard, the results were significant and saw a record breaking CAD$7.5 billion …

• Military Logistics

  Huntington Ingalls signs LHA 8 contract

  21st June 2017

  Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) shipbuilding division has received a $3 billion contract for the detail design and construction of the US Navy's Bougainville (LHA 8) amphibious …

• Defence Helicopter

  Paris Air Show: Sikorsky on track with CH-53K

  21st June 2017

  As Sikorsky’s CH-53K King Stallion enters production, company officials are confident that the US Marine Corps (USMC) Heavy Lift Replacement Programme is on track. With initial …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: EMSA signs off on UAS capabilities

  21st June 2017

  The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) was named in two deals this week for fixed-wing and VTOL unmanned systems that will be used to provide …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned MCM capabilities showcased

  21st June 2017

  A complete unmanned mine counter measure (MCM) detect-to-engage mission has been demonstrated at the Belgium Navy’s North Sea Unmanned MCM Trials (BE NSU). The 11 …

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Brocklesby to return to operations early

  21st June 2017

  The Royal Navy’s mine countermeasure vessel HMS Brocklesby will return to the navy’s surface fleet four months earlier than scheduled following completion of upkeep work …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing to continue P-8I support

  21st June 2017

  Boeing has received a three-year contract to continue its support for the Indian Navy's fleet of P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, the company announced on 19 June. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Paris Air Show: Eye of the Tiger (video)

  21st June 2017

  The French Tiger attack helicopter is a prominent addition to this year's Paris Air Show, with models taking part in both the static displays and …

• Military Logistics

  Nepal orders single CN235

  21st June 2017

  PT Dirgantara (PTDI), the Indonesian aerospace company, has sold its first transport aircraft to Nepal in a deal for a solitary CN235-220M that was signed …

• Military Logistics

  Paris Air Show: Up close with the A400M (video)

  20th June 2017

  At this year's Paris Air Show, the French Air Force is showcasing one of its new A400M tactical transport aircraft, and demonstrating its capability to transport large …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Tight timeframe in Heron saga

  20th June 2017

  The unmanned systems arm of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is hopeful that a decision on the proposed lease of Heron TP medium altitude, long endurance …

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 ...