• Land Warfare

  ​LAAD 2017: Urutu upgrades edge forward

  4th April 2017

  The Brazilian Army programme to upgrade its EE-11 Urutu 6x6 APC is continuing to move forward albeit slowly. However, at LAAD 2017, the vehicle on …

• Defence Helicopter

  US military helicopters face design hurdles

  4th April 2017

  Various design challenges with several of the Pentagon's key helicopter programmes has resulted in unexpected modifications, a new report has found.The CH-53K, Combat Rescue Helicopter …

• Naval Warfare

  Boeing wins P-8A Poseidon aircraft order

  4th April 2017

  Boeing has been awarded a $2.2 billion contract to produce at least 17 P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the US Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force …

• Land Warfare

  ​SOFINS: New guided support weapon unveiled

  4th April 2017

  French company AA/ROK has developed a concept for the new SSA-1108 Joint-Forces Light Support Guided Munition (MIGALe) at the SOFINS exhibition, near Bordeaux.The MIGALe is …

• Digital Battlespace

  USMC receives AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR

  4th April 2017

  The US Marine Corps has officially taken delivery of the first factory built model of the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) from Northrop Grumman …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Milipol Asia 2017: Spy’Ranger debuts in Southeast Asia

  4th April 2017

  Thales hopes the Spy'Ranger mini-UAV will see success in Asia-Pacific, following an order by the French DGA in January. The French electronics giant showcased it …

• Training

  CAE to train NATO E-3A AWACS aircrew

  4th April 2017

  CAE has won a contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to provide training services, including instructors, for the NATO E-3A Airborne Warning …

• Naval Warfare

  SAS 2017: US Navy outlines fleet priorities

  4th April 2017

  Against ongoing uncertainties surrounding the next US defence budget, the US Navy (USN) has provided some 'ship math' on the current fleet size and priorities …

• Military Logistics

  SAS 2017: Marine Corps explores simplified water treatment

  4th April 2017

  The US Marine Corps displayed its new Individual Water Purification System (IWPS), which will allow troops to get safe, drinkable water straight from the source, …

• Military Logistics

  First RFA tanker arrives in UK

  4th April 2017

  The Royal Navy's first Tide class tanker has arrived in the UK for customisation at the A&P shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall, the Ministry of Defence …

• Digital Battlespace

  Pakistan’s C-130 to get Flight2 upgrade

  4th April 2017

  The Pakistan Air Force has selected Rockwell Collins' Flight2 system to upgrade avionics equipment on its C-130 aircraft, the company announced on 31 March.The Flight2 …

• Defence Helicopter

  LAAD 2017: What to expect (video)

  4th April 2017

  Land and C4SIR editor Tim Fish highlights the Guarani 6x6 vehicle and submarine building programmes as ones to watch at LAAD 2017. Meanwhile, deputy rotary …

• Training

  Rockwell, Leonardo DRS selected for TCTS Inc-II

  3rd April 2017

  Rockwell Collins and Leonardo DRS have been selected by the US Navy to supply an encrypted, next-generation tactical training system for its Tactical Combat Training …

• Defence Helicopter

  Elbit receives HDTS order

  3rd April 2017

  Elbit Systems of America will provide the Helmet Display and Tracker System (HDTS) for the US Navy's MH-60S Seahawk helicopter under a $50 million contract …

• Military Logistics

  Antonov AN-132D takes flight

  3rd April 2017

  The Antonov AN-132D transport aircraft has completed its first flight, Ukroboronprom announced on 31 March. The AN-132D has been developed using components from Honeywell, Pratt …

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 ...