• Digital Battlespace

  Dstl to fund AI in warship damage control research programme

  3rd March 2020

  The Defence and Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has awarded a £1m research contract to Frazer-Nash, Decision Lab and Survivability to take part in the ‘Intelligent …

• Defence Notes

  Short UK defence review timetable draws criticism

  11th March 2020

  Experts appearing before the UK Defence Select Committee have suggested that the government is mistaken to plan to complete new national spending and defence reviews …

• Naval Warfare

  UK shipyards prepare for COVID-19 virus

  18th March 2020

  As the COVID-19 virus continues to influence businesses across Europe, naval shipbuilders are having to determine how to react to and prepare for a worsening …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan wins order for Philippine air surveillance radars

  11th March 2020

  Japanese firm Mitsubishi Electric was issued a notice of award by the Philippines on 4 March to supply four radars to complete air surveillance coverage …

• Air Warfare

  Australian, UK F-35 Reprogramming Lab opens

  26th February 2020

  The Australian and UK F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory has opened at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The Reprogramming Laboratory is a joint partnership between Australia …

• Defence Helicopter

  Royal Navy Merlin Mk2s hunt subs in the Ionian Sea

  26th February 2020

  The Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk2 helicopters are being put through their paces during NATO’s annual test of anti-submarine forces in the Ionian Sea. The Flying …

• Digital Battlespace

  Tapestry Solutions to support GDSS

  20th February 2020

  Boeing subsidiary Tapestry Solutions has been awarded a contract to sustain and modernise the US Air Force’s Global Decision Support System (GDSS). GDSS is the …

• Land Warfare

  ADF Boxer seating frames contract awarded

  19th February 2020

  Australian industry involvement in the Boxer 8x8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle build is ramping up, with Precision Metal Group contracted to build the seating frames for …

• Air Warfare

  Force integration training during Exercise Red Flag

  21st February 2020

  US Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft provided the core wing function during Exercise Red Flag. The large force exercise brought together air and ground …

• Air Warfare

  F/A-18 Super Hornets arrive in Finland for HX Challenge

  20th February 2020

  Two Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets and an EA-18G Growler have arrived in Finland to begin flight trials as part of the country’s HX Challenge. Boeing …

• Military Logistics

  USMC refuels F-35B in under ten minutes

  24th February 2020

  The US Marine Corps has refuelled F-35B Lightning II aircraft in five minutes using the tactical aviation ground refuelling system (TAGRS). The refuelling was carried …

• Training

  Upgrade for German NH90 simulators

  17th February 2020

  The Helicopter Flight Training Services consortium will upgrade NH90 Full Mission Simulators (FMS) for the German military under a contract announced on 13 February. The …

• Defence Notes

  Coronavirus muscles in on Senate FY2021 budget hearing

  26th February 2020

  The US armed forces need a bigger budget in FY2021, according to testimony on 25 February from senior military officials at a Senate Armed Services …

• Training

  USAF hopes VR can bridge gap in C-130 maintenance training

  25th February 2020

  With technology constantly changing, the USAF is actively seeking innovative methods to train its crews with tomorrow’s technology.  In an attempt to achieve this goal, …

• Air Warfare

  RAF completes Exercise Red Flag

  14th February 2020

  The UK’s F-35 Lightning Force has concluded Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base in the US.Royal Air Force 617 Squadron deployed F-35 jets …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Project Brakestop [UK]

  Background Information Notice On 25 September 2024, the UK MoD published a prior information notice for Project Brakestop, informing industry of the upcoming competition. Requirements ...

• Loitering munitions

  Medium Range Precision Strike (MRPS) [UK]

  Programme Background Prior Information Notice (PIN) On 21 October 2024, the MoD published a PIN in collaboration with the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;). The notice ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Dominator XP [Thailand]

  Programme Background Purchase As reported by Shephard, in September 2023, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) inducted three Dominator XPs. The RTAF purchased the trio ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Programme Background Retirement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be retired ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook (Singapore)

  Programme Background In July 2020, photos have emerged on the internet of the first Boeing CH-47F Chinook destined for the Republic of Singapore Air Force ...

• Transport

  VC-25B - USAF

  The modifications to the 747-8 aircraft will include an electrical power upgrade with dual Auxiliary Power Units that are usable in flight, a mission communication ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (US)

  Programme Background On 6 March 2023, GA-ASI announced that the Air Force Special Operations Command (ASFOC) had contracted three MQ-9B SkyGaurdians, making it the first US customer of the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-S (Second Batch) [Turkey]

  Programme Background First Batch Based on comments by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Turkish media in 2018, Shephard believes that Türkiye acquired 26 Anka-S drones ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28NE Night Hunter

  Algerian military's follow-up order suggests that the country is satisfied with the Mi-28NE Night Hunters' performance in operational conditions in the desert environment featuring sandstorms ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 [Poland]

  Programme Background Reports of a possible purchase of the C-390 by Poland began circulating in June 2024 after a Polish journalist revealed that Embraer executives ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Mobile Strike Force Vehicle (Ukraine Aid) [USA]

  Programme Background The US first provided Ukraine with the M1117 ASV in September 2022, when 250 vehicles were donated as part of a $400 million ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  According to the FY2021 Base funding, the HH-60W helicopter unit cost is $43.2 million. The HH-60W will be capable of employment day or night, in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  PL-5

  The PL is a Group 3 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable UAV from EDGE Group. According to the company, it is engineered for persistent surveillance and ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APQ-181

  The AN/APQ-181 is a low-probability-of-intercept radar fitted to USAFNorthrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers. During the B-2 Radar ModernizationProgram – completed in 2012 – the B-2’s legacy ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  CreoLand HP

  CreoLand HP is a 10W MANET radio designed for command centres, long-range applications, artillery and special forces units. Notably, it offers a data throughput of 100Mbps ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Gogol-M

  The Gogol-M is a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone carrier, or mothership, from Strategy Force Solutions. The system can deliver two first-person view (FPV)-type attack drones to hit precision ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  H10 Poseidon

  The H10 Poseidon, or H-10, is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV manufactured by Swamrly. Due to the UAV's electric propulsion system, small radar cross-section, lack of detachable thermal signature and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  DT-101

  The DT-101 is a small fixed-wing UAV from Deftech. The VTOL-capable platform features SATCOM with up to 10Mbs bandwidth capability. DefTech lists various payloads for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  DT-001

  The DT-001 is a tandem wing UCAV from Deftech. It can host a range of non-offensive payloads, such as IO/EO cameras and an airborne LIDAR. ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Khronos

  The Khronos is a tethered, fully automated UAV for ISR missions in GPS/GNSS-denied and RF-denied environments. The drone's manufacturer, Elistair, stated that it could be deployed from a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Q-SLAM-100

  Unveiled at DSEI 2025, the Q-SLAM-100 is a man-portable loitering munition. Manufactured by Arquimea, the system is designed for medium-range missions with 120 minutes of flight autonomy ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Spider VTOL

  The Spider VTOL is a mini electrical fixed-wing UAV. Unlike traditional VTOL UAVs with dedicated motors, propellors and structural parts for performing take-off and landing, the Spider ...

• Data links

  MAQA Terminal 3.8m Flyaway Variant

  The Modular Aperture Quad-Band Antenna (MAQA) Terminal is designed to provide a ruggedised, mobile, quad-band SATCOM terminal that supports operations with the WGS constellation, legacy ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-118(V)1

  The AN/VRC-118(V)1 is a Mid-tier Networking Vehicular Radio (MNVR) which provides warfighters with the ability to share situational awareness. The MNVR utilises two joint tactical ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  BLADE-55

  The Ballistic Loitering Attack Drone (BLADE, or BLADE-55) is a multi-role, weaponised rotary-wing UAV from Alare Technologies.  The drone can notably host two NAMMO M72 LAW weapons. Additionally, the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARC-231 Skyfire

  The AN/ARC-231 Skyfire is an airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and DAMA SATCOM system. This system supports US DoD requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data ...