• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Building self-organised UAS swarms

  20th April 2017

  A Self-organising Communications and Autonomous Delivery Service (SCADS) project, run by Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group (DST), is looking to create 'flocks' of UAS …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rotorcraft Asia: Sikorsky celebrates operator milestone

  20th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin company Sikorsky has strengthened its stronghold in Asia-Pacific through long customer relationships and a new service centre.At Rotorcraft Asia 2017, the company spoke …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rotorcraft Asia: Airbus expands Seletar facility

  20th April 2017

  Last month Airbus Helicopters opened a new 'delivery room' at its Seletar facility, with the company's Singaporean base of operations delivering an average of two …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned Systems Asia 2017 Daily News - Day Three

  20th April 2017

  The official Unmanned Systems Asia 2017 Daily News - Day Three is now available to read online. View the digital edition here, and pdf version …

• Naval Warfare

  Iranian ‘grey zone’ naval activities questioned

  19th April 2017

  Senior US military leaders are becoming increasingly concerned by so-called 'grey zone' naval activities being conducted by Iran and its surrogates.Gen Joseph Votel, US Army, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: Army seeks helicopter missile warning system

  19th April 2017

  The US Army has issued a request for information (RfI) in support of the Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) programme as it seeks a …

• Digital Battlespace

  T2C2 SATCOM terminal tested in Alaska

  19th April 2017

  The US Army has successfully conducted an operational test of its inflatable Transportable Tactical Command Communications (T2C2) satellite communications (SATCOM) terminal, in temperatures below negative …

• Military Logistics

  Oshkosh to recapitalise US Army’s FHTVs

  19th April 2017

  Oshkosh Defense has received multiple delivery orders from the US Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) to recapitalise its family of heavy tactical vehicles (FHTV), …

• Special Operations

  ​North Korea shows its SOF hand

  19th April 2017

  The international special operations community has reacted to North Korea's very public 'show of force' of its Unit 525 special operations forces (SOF) during an …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: Plans advance for Chinook Block II

  19th April 2017

  The first of more than 1,200 Chinooks produced for more than 19 operators around the world was delivered to the US Army on 16 August …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: Missile development overcomes hurdles

  19th April 2017

  With low-rate production scheduled for May 2018, the US Army's Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) is well on its way to replacing the long-standing AGM-114 Hellfire, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: AH-64E becomes army’s guardian

  19th April 2017

  The US Army is well on its way in fielding new-build versions of the latest iterations of its AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.In April 2016, Boeing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: Fresh life breathed into UH-60L

  19th April 2017

  The US Army's programme to upgrade its legacy UH-60L Black Hawks with a new digital cockpit is proceeding apace, following the first flight of the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: Lakotas upgraded for the future

  19th April 2017

  The US Army is overseeing several modernisation efforts for the service's fleet of UH-72A Lakotas.Although the type only entered service in 2007, the H145-derived UH-72A, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rotorcraft Asia: ​Avalex aims to create Asian footprint

  19th April 2017

  Avalex Technologies is utilising Rotorcraft Asia 2017 as means to scout Asia-Pacific for prospective customers and cement the company's footprint within the region.At the show, …

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 ...