• Training

  First RAAF pilot completes Ghost Bat training

  23rd August 2024

  Designed as a multirole system to escort crewed aircraft, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat began development in 2013 and took its first flight in February 2021. The training of the first military pilot is a major milestone.

• Land Warfare

  Singapore Army to fully induct Colt IAR 6940 by end-July

  18th July 2024

  The Singapore Army will upgrade to the Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) 6940E-SG to improve urban warfare effectiveness, with features including a Picatinny Rail for modular accessories and advanced night-fighting capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Poland signs for 96 Apache attack helicopters

  14th August 2024

  Poland selected the Apache two years ago and recently finalised details of an offset agreement. The Foreign Military Sale (FMS) Letter of Offer and Agreement (LOA) has sealed the deal.

• Air Warfare

  The Philippines prepares for high-end fighter operations

  24th September 2024

  The Southeast Asian country’s air force is broadening the warfighting mission sets of its FA-50PH by shifting focus towards offensive counter air, defensive counter air and ground attack missions.

• Land Warfare

  MBDA announces new VSHORAD system at Farnborough International Airshow 2024

  23rd July 2024

  The VSHORAD supersonic single-operator interceptor air defence system was unveiled at Farnborough.

• Air Warfare

  GCAP model put on show at Farnborough as plans solidify

  22nd July 2024

  What Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) will be and how it will work is expected to be fleshed out over the next few years. For the moment, however, a concept model along with a lightshow has been drawing visitors and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Farnborough International Airshow.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy looks to OPV dry dock activities in Asia-Pacific

  15th August 2024

  The UK Royal Navy is expanding its Indo-Pacific logistics network, with HMS Spey and HMS Tamar set to undergo dry dock servicing in the region, while the force continues its long-term deployment for operations and defence engagement in the region.

• Air Warfare

  Teledyne FLIR promotes ITAR-free Star SAFIRE imaging payload at FIA

  24th July 2024

  The Ultraforce 380-HDc, launched at Farnborough International Airshow, builds on Teledyne FLIR’s successful Star SAFIRE family of systems and is aimed at both the military and security markets.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing says next stage of Poland Apache deal is close and Chinook may be next

  30th July 2024

  Boeing has seen a renewed demand for the Apache attack helicopter with Poland and Australia becoming customers, while India, the UK, the US, the Netherlands and Egypt have also bought new aircraft or upgraded platforms.

• Air Warfare

  Bell waits for imminent FLRAA Milestone B decision

  23rd July 2024

  Bell won FLRAA in late 2022. Since the cancellation of FARA earlier this year, it has committed more resources to the programme, with an eye on the possibility it could fulfil many Black Hawk replacement requirements worldwide

• Naval Warfare

  Australian navy and industry to carry out maintenance on USN nuclear submarine as part of AUKUS

  23rd August 2024

  The maintenance of USS Hawaii in Australia with the support of local personnel and industry is seen as an important milestone in the tri-nation AUKUS agreement.

• Naval Warfare

  RIMPAC 2024 brings more navies together than ever before for biennial warfare exercise

  17th July 2024

  RIMPAC 2024 offered 29 national navies opportunities to train together for combat readiness in multiple domains, including underwater.

• Training

  NSPA and Airbus sign mission simulator contract for MRTT fleet at Farnborough

  24th July 2024

  The A330 MRTT simulator is expected to make simulator training easier and more regulator for both pilots and refuelling operatives.

• Air Warfare

  MBDA shows Orchestrike swarming missile system progress at Farnborough

  22nd July 2024

  MBDA demonstrated Orchestrike, a collaborative combat solution designed to help overcome complex air defence challenges, at Paris Air Show in 2023 and is showing the progress made since then at Farnborough International Airshow.

• Training

  Royal Jordanian Air Force takes delivery of five new Bell 505 aircraft at Farnborough

  25th July 2024

  The five helicopters complete an order of 10 Bell 505s placed in 2022.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Ship-Bourne VTOL UAV [Singapore]

  Background Multi-Role Combat Vessel  The Republic of Singapore Navy will retire its six Victory-class corvettes and replace them with a new platform, the Multi-Role Combat ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Singapore]

  Background Replacement Ahead of the Singapore Airshow 2024, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) outgoing chief, Major General Kelvin Khong, stated that the service would replace ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70M Black Hawk [Indonesia]

  Programme Background On 23 August 2023, Lockheed Martin announced that Sikorsky had signed an agreement with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) for a strategic partnership in ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  TITAN [Singapore]

  Programme Background Singapore currently operates 135 Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICV) procured in the early 2000s. The Terrex s5 is the latest model in the ...

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

  Heron Mk 1 Replacement [Singapore]

  Background Drone Replacement Ahead of the Singapore Airshow 2024, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) outgoing chief, Major General Kelvin Khong, stated that the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [Armenia]

  Background Announcment On 9 February 2026, in a press release from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan and JD Vance, US vice-president, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Shield AI UAVs [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Reported Talks Reporting from the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, the Middle East Eye (MEE) noted that, according to two sources, Saudi Arabia was ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Invincible Class (Type 218SG) (5-6) [Singapore]

  In March 2025, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced it would acquire two more submarines to complement its four Type 218SG Invincible-class submarines. Speaking to ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Invincible Class (Type 218SG) (5-6) [Singapore]

  In March 2025, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced it would acquire two more submarines to complement its four Type 218SG Invincible-class submarines. Speaking to ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Invincible Class (Type 218SG) (5-6) [Singapore]

  Programme Background Timeline In March 2025, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced it would acquire two more submarines to complement its four Types 218SG Invincible-class ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  Background ISR services In April 2026, several companies announced that the USN had selected them to provide Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (COCO) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) ...

• Amphibious assault ships, Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Landing Ship Tank Replacement [Singapore]

  Programme Background Requirements Singapore needs to replace its four in-service Endurance-class ships, which will be retired in the late 2020s. In 2014, Singapore announced the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Orbiter 4 [Singapore]

  Background Contract Announcement Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced the acquisition during the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) Committee of Supply debate on 2 March 2022. Following this, ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft [Singapore]

  Programme Background Deployed from Changi West airbase, and jointly operated by the RSAF and Republic of Singapore Navy, the ageing Fokker 50 fleet is primarily ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Veloce-60

  The Veloce-60 was a fixed-wing UAV first displayed by ST Engineering at Singapore Airshow 2020. It had VTOL capabilities with a rear-mounted piston engine to power a ...

• Medium UGVs

  Taurus

  Unveiled at Singapore Airshow 2024, the Taurus is a medium UGV from ST Engineering. The multi-role vehicle can be used for surveillance, casualty evacuation, logistics transport and ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  ARTEX

  The ARTEX is a rotary-wing aircraft unveiled by ST Engineering at the Singapore Airshow 2026.  ST Engineering stated it has been designed for ISR missions, ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Viper 40

  The Viper 40 is a tube-launched loitering munition from SpearUAV. Part of the wider Viper family of drones, the variant can uniquely be launched from ...

• Tiltrotors, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Lanying R6000

  First shown at the 2024 Singapore Airshow, the Lanying R6000 is an optionally crewed helicopter from United Aircraft Group. It is comparable to the V-22 ...

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

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  TD220

  The TD220 is an electric, coaxial dual-rotor UAV manufactured by Zhong Hang Zhi (ZHZ). The aircraft, which debuted at the 2014 Singapore Airshow, is designed ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  CM-502KG

  The CM-502KG is a Chinese air-to-surface missile. It is a variant of the CM-502G and is similar in size to the AR-1. However, it has ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELM-2222 Nav-Guard

  ELTA Systems’ Nav-Guard, a lightweight, modular Ship Protection System based upon four AESA antennae, it is designed to cope with the new threats and increase a naval ...

• Loitering munitions

  EagleStrike

  ST Engineering launched EagleStrike at the Singapore Airshow 2026, a beyond-line-of-sight (BLoS) loitering munition. A cannister-launched munition, it is designed to be put on a ...

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

  Wing Loong X

  The Wing Loong X, or WL-X, is a fixed-wing UAV developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Debuted at the Paris Air Show ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Iron Beam

  Iron Beam is a family of high-energy laser weapon systems (HELWS) currently in development by Rafael. The 100kW system uses fibre laser technology to intercept ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  DrN-35DH

  The DrN-35DH is a hexacopter UAV that ST Engineering showed at the Singapore Airshow 2024. Designed for ISR operations, it carries two cameras, with a primary gimbaled EO/IR ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  ARTOS

  At the Singapore Airshow 2026, ST Engineering unveiled the ARTOS, a rotary-wing multi-mission UAV designed to support forces operating in dense, cluttered, or contested environments. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Terrex s5

  The Terrex s5 is the latest edition to ST Engineering's Terrex 8x8 family. Development began in 2022 and it was unveiled at the Singapore Airshow in ...