• Land Warfare

  Zhuhai 2016: Beijing manufacturer debuts protected vehicles

  5th November 2016

  Beijing Zhongzi Yanjing Automobile used the occasion of the 11th Zhuhai Air Show to debut a new range of armoured tactical vehicles that it hopes …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insitu eyes unsegregated opportunities

  4th November 2016

  Insitu is exploring the potential to conduct commercial beyond line of site (BLoS) operations in the US, following the successful flights last year with a …

• Defence Helicopter

  IAI supplies V-280 Valor components

  4th November 2016

  Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Golan Industries and Lahav divisions are providing seating systems and nacelles for the Bell Helicopter V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircraft, Textron announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Navy's MUOS satellite overcomes challenges

  4th November 2016

  The US Navy’s fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) has overcome propulsion system failures and has now reached operational orbit with pre-operational on-board testing set …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems to continue ARC work

  4th November 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded a $13.3 million contract modification from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to extend work on its Adaptive Radar …

• Land Warfare

  Zhuhai 2016: Variety impresses on skid row

  4th November 2016

  The China South Industries Group Corporation, similar to but lesser known than the China North Industries Corporation (Norinco), exhibited a stunning line-up of skid-steer military …

• Land Warfare

  NATO nations to lead battalions in Baltic States

  4th November 2016

  At the NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels in October, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Canada, Germany, the UK and the US will lead with …

• Land Warfare

  Indo Defence 2016: Saab outlines Indo collaboration (video)

  4th November 2016

  Like many countries that are looking to develop an indigenous defence manufacturing capability, technology transfer and offset deals are a key priority for Indonesia when …

• Digital Battlespace

  GDMS-UK building info gateway for Dutch MoD

  4th November 2016

  General Dynamics Mission Systems–UK is designing a next-generation tactical information gateway for the Netherlands under a collaborative demonstration programme with the country’s Ministry of Defence …

• Digital Battlespace

  Zhuhai 2016: China demonstrates better C4 capabilities

  4th November 2016

  Two new C4 systems were introduced at the 11th Zhuhai Air Show from 1-6 November in southern China. The systems, both developed by the China …

• Land Warfare

  Zhuhai 2016: Norinco unveils VT5 light tank

  4th November 2016

  China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) chose the occasion of the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in China to unveil its VT5, a new light main battle …

• Defence Notes

  Zhuhai 2016: Chinese space programmes reveal military strike capability

  4th November 2016

  There is doubt about China’s peaceful exploration of the final frontier, as it now appears the Klingons are in charge of the Long March (LM) …

• Defence Notes

  Zhuhai 2016: Hints detected of Chinese BMD development

  3rd November 2016

  There were small hints of a Chinese ballistic missile defence (BMD) system when Shephard attended the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in China. One was the …

• Land Warfare

  Precision guidance kit for Canadian regiment

  3rd November 2016

  The 1st Regiment of the Canadian Army's Royal Canadian Horse Artillery started integrating Orbital ATK precision guidance kit at its base in Shilo, Manitoba starting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zhuhai 2016: China extends Wing Loong family

  3rd November 2016

  Two hitherto unknown fixed-wing Wing Loong UAVs were unveiled at the 11th Zhuhai Air Show being held from 1-6 November in southern China. The Wing …

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 ...