• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New production line for Predator landing gear

  2nd May 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and GKN Aerospace Fokker have opened a new production line for landing gear systems for the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper UAS …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to upgrade USAF’s AOC WS

  2nd May 2017

  Raytheon has received a contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to sustain and modernise its Air and Space Operations Centre Weapon System (AOC WS), …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army Apaches train to counter-North Korean maritime SOF

  2nd May 2017

  US Army Apache helicopters are conducting training operations designed to counter the threat of North Korean maritime special operations forces. Designated 'maritime counter-SOF', the operations …

• Land Warfare

  Thai marines want ATMG firepower

  2nd May 2017

  The Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) plans to acquire 155mm Autonomous Truck-Mounted Gun (ATMG) systems, part of Elbit Systems' ATMOS family, to increase the punch …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Fury flight demonstrations continue

  1st May 2017

  Lockheed Martin is regularly flying long-range endurance test missions with its Fury UAS as the company prepares for low-rate production.Since May 2016, Fury has flown …

• Defence Helicopter

  GE Aviation to produce more T700 engines

  1st May 2017

  GE Aviation has announced an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract from the US Army for the continued production of T700 turboshaft engines.The contract was awarded …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy gets BAMS C2 facility

  28th April 2017

  Burns and McDonnell has delivered a new command and control facility that will support the US Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) operations at Naval …

• Defence Helicopter

  Geo-lock feature for Epsilon gimbals

  28th April 2017

  Octopus ISR Systems has introduced a precision geo-pointing feature for its miniature Epsilon series of gyro-stabilized gimbals, the company announced on 25 April. The precision …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: AN/ARC-201D radio recertified

  28th April 2017

  The Harris AN/ARC-201D airborne radio has been recertified for use in US Army helicopters, the company announced on 26 April. The airworthiness release was issued …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A: Apache turret replacement develops

  28th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control is currently anticipating receipt of a producibility contract for its High Reliability Turret (HRT). According to Thomas Eldredge, director …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Protonex powers ScanEagle UAV flight

  28th April 2017

  Ballard Power Systems' subsidiary Protonex has successfully powered test flights of the Insitu ScanEagle UAS with its Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell propulsion system, …

• Defence Notes

  Quad A: Orbital ATK sharpens hatchet

  28th April 2017

  While Orbital ATK may have used this week's Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Mission Summit to unveil the latest model of their Hatchet munition, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A: Arnold finds launcher sweet spot

  28th April 2017

  Arnold Defense is seeking to expand on both special operations and conventional aviation interest in its 12-shot rocket pod. Designated LWL-12A by the company, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ASV opens global mission control centre

  28th April 2017

  ASV Global has opened a new autonomous vessel Mission Control Centre in Portchester, UK, where it will base ongoing development of its ASView autonomous vessel …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A: ITEP funding shutdown looming?

  28th April 2017

  One point of agreement among Army leaders at this week's Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Mission Summit has been the critical importance of the …

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 ...