• Training

  LVS2 simulation training system accepted

  13th February 2017

  The fire control simulation training system for the Australian Defence Force's (ADF's) Lightweight Video Sight (LVS2) system has completed site acceptance testing, Nioa announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aero India 2017: BSF considers border aerostats

  12th February 2017

  Israeli manufacturer RT LTA Systems revealed that it twice demonstrated its Skystar 180 aerostat system to the Border Security Force (BSF) in India in recent …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aero India 2017: Aeronautics sees huge As-Pac potential

  12th February 2017

  Aeronautics, thanks to a product line of UAV platforms, associated Controp electro-optic payloads, Commtact data links and Zanzottera engines, is eyeing India as a market …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aero India 2017: Heron TP-XP heading to Bengaluru

  12th February 2017

  An export version of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP UAV will be introduced at Aero India in Bengaluru, India, which runs from 14-18 …

• Training

  Taiwan’s new AJT to take off in 2020

  12th February 2017

  Taiwan kicked off its air force's advanced jet trainer (AJT) programme on 7 February. A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Republic of China …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  German Heron 1 fully operational in Mali

  11th February 2017

  The Heron 1 deployed by the Luftwaffe to Mali last year reached its full operational capability (FOC) on 1 February after its first flight with …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rogerson Kratos' upgraded UH-60A completes first flight

  10th February 2017

  Rogerson Kratos' first UH-60A Black Hawk to undergo a modernised cockpit upgrade has completed its first test flight, the company announced on 7 February.The integrated …

• Military Logistics

  IL-112V prototype takes shape

  10th February 2017

  The first IL-112V light military transport aircraft prototype has arrived at the final assembly workshop, with the aircraft's wings now coupled to the fuselage, Ilyushin …

• Defence Helicopter

  IAF changes helicopter pilot training programmes

  10th February 2017

  The Israeli Air Force (IAF) Flight Academy has united its training programmes for transport and combat helicopter pilots, the IAF announced on 8 February.The change …

• Land Warfare

  Australian air defence proposals emerge

  10th February 2017

  Australia is seeking to further improve its mobile Short Range Air Defence capability. Sources have told Shephard that this could develop into a request for …

• Land Warfare

  Fijian peacekeepers to receive Bushmaster

  10th February 2017

  It was announced on 9 February that Australia was conducting a government-to-government sale of ten second-hand Thales Bushmaster 4x4 protected mobility vehicles to the South …

• Military Logistics

  C-130J with Block 8.1 upgrade in testing

  9th February 2017

  The first C-130J Super Hercules with a Block 8.1 upgrade has undergone flight testing at Little Rock Air Force Base, the US Air Force announced …

• Training

  Textron to continue Afghan Trainer CLS work

  9th February 2017

  Textron Systems Support Solutions will continue providing Afghan Trainer Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) under a contract from the US Air Force announced on 7 February.The …

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: Ammo revolution

  9th February 2017

  A revolution is occurring in armaments that is as great as the move from smoothbore to rifled weapons. It portends a leap in lethality and …

• Training

  Leonardo T-100 going it alone

  8th February 2017

  Leonardo has announced it will be offering its T-100 integrated training system for the US Air Force $16 billion T-X competition.Only a fortnight ago it …

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 ...