• Defence Helicopter

  ​Airbus secures first HForce sales

  2nd March 2017

  Airbus Helicopters has confirmed that HForce is alive with the sound of sales, the company revealing it has sold two versions of the weapon system …

• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo to work on RWUAS CCD Phase 2

  2nd March 2017

  Leonardo UK will work on the Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System, Capability Concept Demonstrator (RWUAS CCD) Phase 2 programme under a contract with the UK …

• Special Operations

  New command transforms European SOF

  2nd March 2017

  On 16 February, three NATO members signed an agreement which could have significant implications for the command and control (C2) structures of the international special …

• Training

  Avalon 2017: Lockheed Martin Australia to open demo centre

  2nd March 2017

  The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is currently undertaking a number of projects to network and integrate capabilities throughout defence. These include initiatives contained within Plan …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2017: Heron TP wants fair Australian competition

  2nd March 2017

  With the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) eyeing a future armed MALE UAV platform to join its fleet, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) wants the right …

• Training

  Avalon 2017: RPAS training growth

  1st March 2017

  The opening day of Avalon 2017 saw General Atomics launch its Team Reaper Australia consortia to bid for the Royal Australian Air Force's AIR 7003 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Avalon 2017: Bell positions Viper-Venom combo

  1st March 2017

  The marketing focus for Bell Helicopter at Avalon Air Show 2017 was a major push of its AH-1Z Viper. With the Australian Army's Tiger Armed …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Harris to develop BVLOS network for UAS

  1st March 2017

  Harris Corporation will develop a network to enable beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations for UAS, the company announced on 28 February.The work will be carried out under …

• Digital Battlespace

  Avalon 2017: RAAF embarks upon road to Jericho

  1st March 2017

  Plan Jericho, an effort by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to bring down walls between users and operators and create a fifth-generation fighting force, …

• Training

  Training at UK CATT can be enhanced

  1st March 2017

  The British Army has outlined a future wish-list for its Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT).The service is seeking the integration of current and future UAVs, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon wins USAF mobile sensors contract

  1st March 2017

  Raytheon will operate and maintain radar systems aboard two US Navy vessels under a contract announced on 27 February.The four year IDIQ mobile sensors contract …

• Defence Helicopter

  Avalon 2017: NorthStar offers Australia an alternative

  1st March 2017

  NorthStar Aviation is offering the Australian Defence Force (ADF) an alternative solution to meet its requirement for a deployable light attack and reconnaissance helicopter for …

• Defence Helicopter

  Avalon 2017: USMC aviation ramps up As-Pac capability

  1st March 2017

  The aviation wing of the US Marine Corps (USMC) has been enjoying unprecedented modernisation in the Asia-Pacific region, with the recent deployment of Lockheed Martin …

• Training

  Avalon 2017: Saab highlights AUV62-AT

  28th February 2017

  The Australian Department of Defence is building up its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets at an incredible pace. The MH-60R Seahawk has been joined by the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2017: Ninox cashes in on UAV service boom

  28th February 2017

  Ninox Robotics, established in late 2014, is one of only four to five companies offering clients turnkey services with longer-endurance, fixed-wing UAVs. Indeed, as such, …

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 ...