• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI offers Angel One for humanitarian efforts

  17th November 2016

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) will provide its Angel One unmanned jet-propelled aircraft to deliver Humanitarian Daily Ration packets (HRDs) to support humanitarian efforts, the …

• Land Warfare

  L-3 night vision systems for Aussie soldiers

  17th November 2016

  L-3 Communications has received a $208 million contract from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for night vision soldier systems, the company announced on 14 November. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rustom II takes maiden flight

  17th November 2016

  Although long delayed, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the maiden flight of the Rustom II medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV on 16 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Elbit Systems launches counter-UAS system

  16th November 2016

  Elbit Systems has launched a new counter-UAS system called ReDrone, designed to provide protection of closed air spaces, national infrastructure and other critical areas against …

• Defence Notes

  NZ defence plan rectifies vague white paper

  16th November 2016

  New Zealand released its 2016 Defence Capability Plan on 16 November offering some clarity on future defence projects. It follows the release of the Defence …

• Defence Notes

  Saab opens Philippines office

  16th November 2016

  Saab is looking to further develop its business in the Philippines with a new office now open in Manilla. The new office – the company’s …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Debut demo for unmanned duo

  15th November 2016

  Twelve months after Lockheed Martin acquired Sikorsky the two companies have joined to showcase their unmanned capabilities in a demonstration at Griffiss Air Force Base …

• Military Logistics

  New joint venture to bid for Canadian contract

  15th November 2016

  BAE Systems and Irving Shipbuilding have formed a new joint venture organisation that will bid for Canada’s Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support …

• Digital Battlespace

  Satmove Ka trials approaching

  15th November 2016

  Thales is expected to begin first tests of the new Satmove Ka satellite terminals with the French government at the end of the year or early …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aurora working on unmanned Huey technology

  15th November 2016

  Aurora Flight Sciences’ Tactical Autonomous Aerial Logistics System (TALOS) is set to be integrated on a UH-1H helicopter, the company announced on 10 November. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  App to the future

  15th November 2016

  A new British company believes it has a solution to one of the major challenges to expansion of the unmanned aircraft industry - air-traffic control.  …

• Military Logistics

  A400M in AAR contact demo flight

  15th November 2016

  The A400M airlifter has demonstrated air-to-air refuelling contacts with another A400M, Airbus Defence and Space announced on 14 November. Two demonstration flights were carried out …

• Digital Battlespace

  Earthquake relief ship to get comms upgrade

  15th November 2016

  The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) multirole vessel HMNZS Canterbury, will get a communications upgrade along with two other ships. Canterbury is delivering much-needed supplies and …

• Defence Helicopter

  RSAF Chinook training to occur in Australia

  14th November 2016

  Singapore is building new infrastructure to support the deployment of Boeing CH-47 Chinooks to Australia, with work due to start before year’s end and due …

• Land Warfare

  Thailand to adopt DTI-2 rocket launcher

  14th November 2016

  The latest unguided 122mm DTI-2 multiple-rocket launch (MRL) system installed on a tracked Type 85 chassis will be delivered to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) …

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 ...