• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Liquid Robotics pursues non-AIS avoidance capability

  9th May 2017

  The Wave Glider USV will soon add an autonomous acoustic avoidance capability to enable the platform to better operate in areas where illegal, unreported and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Snipe on target for US military (video)

  9th May 2017

  AeroVironment has unveiled its latest addition to its UAV Family, Snipe, a nano-UAS based on the Hummingbird UAS the company worked on with DARPA. The …

• Military Logistics

  Safer alternative to li-ion batteries developed

  9th May 2017

  Researchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have developed a safer alternative to fire-prone lithium-ion batteries, which were recently banned for some applications on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Production of AN/SPY-6(V) AMDR begins

  9th May 2017

  Raytheon will begin low rate initial production of the AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) under a $327 million contract modification from the US …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army receives two Kontio launchers

  9th May 2017

  Robonic has delivered two third-generation MC2555LLR pneumatic launchers to the US Army, with both launchers now operational following successful testing in April. Robonic worked alongside …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: AWES update for British Army

  9th May 2017

  Cubic Global Defense has provided details of its Area Weapons Effects Simulator (AWES) component contract, following on from Saab Training Systems' announcement that they had …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: SOCOM releases helmet RfP

  9th May 2017

  US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has published its Request For Proposals (RfP) for the Special Operations Forces Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) Family of Tactical …

• Defence Notes

  AUVSI 2017: Technologies threaten USMC ops

  9th May 2017

  Building on several years of demonstration and experimentation experience, the US Marine Corps had defined a way ahead for robotics and autonomous systems. However, that …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Iris DO-278A Assurance approved

  9th May 2017

  Kongsberg Geospatial's Iris UAS airspace situational awareness application will be offered as a certifiable display to meet the requirements of the DO-278A Assurance standard for …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: Success for VirTra V-300

  9th May 2017

  US-based VirTra, suppliers of small-arms training (SAT) simulators, has announced that it has received a follow-on contract award from an undisclosed international customer in the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: MUM-T first up at opening conference

  9th May 2017

  Among the key challenges for future integration of unmanned technology with manned platforms is the risk of saturating pilots and operators with additional tasks, resulting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: MartinUAV seeks entrance to US market

  9th May 2017

  After participating in several recent demonstration events, MartinUAV is looking to establish its V-Bat long endurance VTOL UAS in the US military market. According to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Trusting autonomous capability

  8th May 2017

  Autonomous platforms should have the requirements necessary for users to 'trust' the system built in during the design phase, rather than looking at ways to …

• Military Logistics

  USAF gets processed M50 masks

  8th May 2017

  The United States Air Force (USAF) military personnel have started receiving processed and approved M50 gas masks that are evaluated as 99.99 percent serviceable through …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI selects GKN Aerospace for MQ-9B RPA

  8th May 2017

  GKN Aerospace has been selected by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the design, development and manufacture of fuel bladders for Predator B MQ-9B RPAS, …

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 ...