• Defence Notes

  Fourth Astute class boat named

  20th December 2016

  The fourth submarine of the Royal Navy’s Astute class has been officially named Audacious during a ceremony at BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. …

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine’s tank revival

  19th December 2016

  Ukraine’s tank industry reports a significant growth in business in 2016 based on work in both the domestic and export markets. This includes upgrade work …

• Land Warfare

  Finland to decide on Korean artillery

  19th December 2016

  Finland is moving towards the acquisition of new self-propelled artillery howitzers, with a decision expected early in 2017. The Nordic country has plans to buy …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  India speeding up Predator buy

  16th December 2016

  India is pursuing plans to buy high-altitude, long endurance UAVs from the US to meet the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements of its navy and …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell Helicopter, PGZ sign LoI

  16th December 2016

  Bell Helicopter and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) based on Poland’s Kruk helicopter programme. The government of Poland is …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: Saudi Arabia - A close customer (part 2 - air)

  14th December 2016

  As we have already seen in Part 1 – Land, the close defence relationship between Saudi Arabia's ruling House of Saud and Western governments is …

• Defence Notes

  Saudi and UAE driving GCC defence

  14th December 2016

  The two military heavyweights of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are driving defence procurement in the region with recent increases …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Navy UAV requirements up in the air

  14th December 2016

  The deployment of an Insitu Blackjack to a UK Royal Navy (RN) ship intended for 2017 has been put on hold due to US Marine Corps requirements. …

• Naval Warfare

  Analysis: Waters rage in South China Sea (Part 2)

  14th December 2016

  In Part 1 of this analysis, Shephard looked in some detail at Chinese and Taiwanese reactions to the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) ruling on …

• Naval Warfare

  Japan Coast Guard to get cash injection

  13th December 2016

  Japan is proposing to raise the budget of its overworked coast guard in the coming fiscal year, giving it its largest funding ever. The government …

• Land Warfare

  Thailand orders Chinese SAM

  13th December 2016

  The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) bought a battery of KS-1C medium-range surface-to-air missiles from the China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC), with delivery expected …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ka-52 first export deliveries set for 2017

  13th December 2016

  Russian Helicopters plans to begin export deliveries of the Ka-52 coaxial rotor attack helicopters in 2017. The launch export customer for the type is Egypt, …

• Military Logistics

  Coast Guard partners with DLA for new cutter logistics

  12th December 2016

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is expanding its relationship based on the entry into service of the new USCG Offshore Patrol …

• Defence Helicopter

  Indonesia to overhaul Mi-35Ps in Russia

  9th December 2016

  Russian Helicopters has received a contract to upgrade Mil Mi-35P attack helicopters owned by the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD). The Russian-built helicopters will be overhauled at …

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine to upgrade Pakistani tanks

  9th December 2016

  A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Pakistan and Ukraine for the upgrade and support of Pakistan’s Main Battle Tank (MBT). Ukraine’s state-owned company …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Q02 (Qatar)

  Programme Background Reiner developed the Q01 jointly with the Emirate of Qatar, primarily for the Qatar Armed Forces. It was introduced at the ILA Berlin Air ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | MQ-9A Reaper (Iran War replacement) [USAF]

  The USAF is planning to replace the MQ-9 Reapers lost during the 2026 Iran War. As of June 2026, the force has allocated funding to ...

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

  Remote Carrier (RC) [France]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

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

  Remote Carrier (RC) [Spain]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

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

  Remote Carrier (RC) [Germany]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift UAV [Germany]

  Background  Victor U250 agreement On 10 June 2026, at ILA Berlin, Rheinmetall, ERC Systems, and the North Rhine-Westphalia state formed a strategic partnership to lay ...

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

  Remote Carrier [French Navy]

  Background Carrier Air Wing Plan The French Navy presented a broad plan for its carrier air wing for the future decades at a briefing at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Halcon I [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Air Force began requirements assessments, although potential suppliers including Boeing (F/A-18E/F), Lockheed Martin (F-35), Airbus-BAE-Leonardo (Eurofighter Typhoon) are already engaged with ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Quadriga [Germany]

  Programme Background Under Project Quadriga, Berlin is seeking a replacement for its 33 Typhoon Tranche 1. Furthermore, Germany is offering its Tranche 1 fleet to ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Eurodrone [France]

  Background Inception (Stage One) The European MALE RPAS programme was launched in September 2016. Germany, Spain, France and Italy had negotiated and agreed, in collaboration ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper (Iran War replacement) [USAF]

  Background Iran War losses In May 2026, the Congressional Research Service confirmed that 42 MQ-9A Reapers had been shot down during the 2026 Iran War.  Desire ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Framework Contract) [Germany]

  Background Framework contract value Hartpunkt, reporting in March 2026, noted that the German Army has a framework contract worth €2.4 billion ($2.83 billion) for the procurement of loitering ...

• Loitering munitions

  Harop [Azerbaijan]

  Programme Background According to a December 2020 report by the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Azerbaijan acquired an estimated 50 Harop loitering munitions ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Germany]

  Background Need Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, stated in July 2024 that the “German Air Force has expressed a clear need for an ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Mexico]

  Programme Background In April 2016, Mexico finalised an order for seven additional UH-60M platforms. At the time of procurement, the Mexican Air Force already had ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  U760 Ravenstorm

  The U760 Ravenstorm is a Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA) manufactured by Airbus. Unveiled at ILA Berlin 2026, the aircraft is designed to operate alongside fighter pilots in air-to-air ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Wingman

  The Wingman is an Airbus concept drone unveiled at ILA Berlin in June 2024. The loyal-wingman-type fixed-wing UAV was explicitly aimed to accompany and augment ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  U145

  Unveiled in June 2026, the U145, developed by Airbus, is an uncrewed version of the H145 helicopter. The aircraft is being pitched for specific military ...

• ISR/special mission, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Q01 / Q02

  The Q01 is an optinoal piloted MALE prototype aircraft developed by Reiner Stemme Utility Air-Systems GmbH in collaboration with the Emirate of Qatar. The Q02 has ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Grille

  The Grille 9X DRONEVAC, or Cricket, is an uncrewed multicopter designed for MEDEVAC missions. Designed by Avilus, the UAV is meant to transport injured service personnel to safe ...

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

  AeroForce 380

  The AeroForce 380 is a MALE fixed-wing drone. Based on the Milkor 380, it is tailored for maritime surveillance and Coast Guard missions. It can ...

• Multipurpose missiles, Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  RCM²

  The Remote Carrier Multidomain Multirole Effector (RCM²) is an uncrewed aircraft developed by MBDA. Between a missile and a drone, it is a multi-domain platform that performs ...

• Subsystems: visual

  SeaView R5

  The visual scene created with SeaView R5 can be displayed on a wide variety of display devices including flat, spherical and cylindrical screens. Projection systems ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Victor U250

  The Victor U250 is a heavy lift drone in development by ERC Systems. The UAV has been developed by ERC for critical mission applications including ...

• Military - USVs

  High-Speed Intercept Boat

  Poly Technologies displayed its High-Speed Intercept Boat at DSA in Malaysia in 2016. 

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

  FEANIX

  The Future Effector - Adaptable, Networked, Intelligent, Xpendable (FEANIX) is a long-range Light Remote Carrier (LRC) that can be launched from the air, land, and sea.  Unveiled by ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  SkyStriker

  The SkyStriker is a UAV and loitering munition manufactured by Elbit Systems. It is a cost-effective platform capable of operating fully autonomously and striking targets ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Bars-6

  Bogdan publicly unveiled the 7t Bars-6 (Panther) 4x4 light APC at IDEX 2015, and in July 2016, the company introduced an upgraded version ready for ...

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

  Mini UAV Fixed Wing I

  The Jordan Design and Development Bureau (JODDB) unveiled the hand-launched Mini UAS (also known as Mini UAV Fixed-Wing I) at SOFEX 2016, along with a wider family ...

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

  Mysterious Bee

  The Mysterious Bee hybrid, fixed-wing/quadcopter UAV was unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow 2016. It is designed to operate from ships, small islands, mountainous areas and ...