• Digital Battlespace

  RAAF signs MMS agreement

  12th June 2017

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will benefit from a new operations management resource under an agreement with Boeing companies Jeppesen and Tapestry Solutions. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ISDEF 2017: Controp expands portfolio

  10th June 2017

  Israel-based Controp has in recent months been showcasing the latest additions to its STAMP family of aircraft payloads at overseas shows, such as AUVSI’s Xponential …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE Systems receives DARPA contracts

  9th June 2017

  BAE Systems has received two contracts from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop technology that will enable compact UAS to conduct multiple mission …

• Training

  US Navy orders deployable P-8A trainers

  9th June 2017

  Boeing has received a contract to deliver Deployable Mission Readiness Trainers (DMRTs) to the US Navy for its P-8A Poseidon fleet, the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Aero, Sikorsky extend UH-60 cockpit contract

  9th June 2017

  Czech company Aero Vodochody and Sikorsky have extended their contract on Black Hawk helicopter cockpits, Aero Vodochody announced on 6 June. Under the new contract …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe: Northrop's RWR nears production

  9th June 2017

  The updated AN/APR-39D(V)2 radar warning receiver/electronic warfare management system from Northrop Grumman is starting production. The system would begin full rate production in July and …

• Land Warfare

  Saudi Arabia requests AN/TPQ-53(V) radars

  9th June 2017

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of AN/TPQ-53(V) radar systems and related support to the government of …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE integrates MOVINT into GXP software

  9th June 2017

  BAE Systems has integrated Movement Intelligence (MOVINT) capabilities into its Geospatial eXploitation Product (GXP) software line, the company announced on 5 June. The capabilities, which include …

• Digital Battlespace

  EU SATCOM agreement on horizon

  9th June 2017

  Plans for a pan-European Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) programme could be given the green light this month, enabling pooling and sharing of governmental satellite capacity …

• Defence Notes

  Amidst threats, Seoul eyes defence budget hike

  9th June 2017

  South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has requested a record defence budget of KRW43.7 trillion ($38.7 billion) for next year. Although yet to be …

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit Systems wins F-35 cockpit display deal

  9th June 2017

  Elbit Systems of America has secured a contract to develop a cockpit display replacement unit for the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft, the company announced on 6 …

• Naval Warfare

  RAAF P-8A flies for Operation Gateway

  9th June 2017

  A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon has completed its first overseas deployment to Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base Butterworth as part of …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: Pentagon’s China report becomes more pastel

  9th June 2017

  Once again, the release of the annual Pentagon report, entitled Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, a US Congress-mandated document, contributes …

• Special Operations

  DTECH Labs to support USSOCOM’s TACLAN

  8th June 2017

  Cubic company DTECH Labs has received two delivery orders to support the next generation of US Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) Tactical Local Area Network (TACLAN), Cubic …

• Defence Helicopter

  Austria opts for Acehawk avionics

  8th June 2017

  Global Aviation Solutions (GAS) announced on 1 June that it will provide its Acehawk avionics systems for nine Austrian S-70A-42 Black Hawk helicopters. The contract, which …

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 ...