• Military Logistics

  Orbital ATK expands Northridge facility

  29th June 2016

  Orbital ATK has completed the expansion of its Northridge, California, production facility, integrating engineering and production of the AAR-47 Missile Warning System and Common Munition …

• Land Warfare

  Gen Carter urges calm in British defence

  29th June 2016

  The British Army’s Chief of the General Staff (CGS) General Nick Carter said there would be no changes in ‘army to army relations and defence …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon GPS OCX ticking along

  29th June 2016

  Raytheon has achieved a new milestone in the development of the US Air Force's (USAF) Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System, or GPS …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USCG contracts ScanEagle services

  29th June 2016

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has contracted Insitu to provide UAS services for one of its National Security Cutters (NSC), the company announced on 27 …

• Training

  NAWCTSD opts for J.F. Taylor

  29th June 2016

  Although perhaps not at the top of everyone’s mind when listing simulation companies, J.F. Taylor Inc. has been providing engineering services, simulator design and fabrication …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hans-free Solo readied for UW2016

  29th June 2016

  Optionally-manned platforms will be present at the Unmanned Warrior exercise off the coast of Scotland this year, with the dual capability providing a degree of …

• Digital Battlespace

  AN/TPQ-53 radar tracks UAS

  29th June 2016

  The AN/TPQ-53 counter-fire radar has demonstrated its ability to identify and track UAS and pass that information to a command and control (C2) node, providing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CybAero to deliver three UAS in August

  29th June 2016

  CybAero and Chinese company Jolly have agreed that three UAS ordered by Jolly will be delivered in August 2016, CybAero announced on 27 June. The …

• Training

  Upgrade of Woomera test range launched

  29th June 2016

  Raytheon Australia is the beneficiary of an AU$297 million (US$219 million) contract as Australia seeks to upgrade its Woomera test range. After remediations and improvements …

• Land Warfare

  Ajax air deployability trials begin

  28th June 2016

  Initial air portability testing for the Ajax vehicle has begun at the Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit (JADTEU) at Royal Air Force (RAF) …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy installs AN/SPY-6 radar at ARDEL

  28th June 2016

  An AN/SPY-6 radar has been installed at the US Navy's Advanced Radar Development Evaluation Laboratory (ARDEL) at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), it was …

• Digital Battlespace

  MUOS-5 responding to ground control

  28th June 2016

  Lockheed Martin's fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-5) satellite has been successfully launched into space and is responding to the US Naval Spacecraft Operations Control …

• Defence Helicopter

  Final Chinooks reach Australia

  28th June 2016

  A final three CH-47F Chinook helicopters touched down on Australian soil on 24 June. The aircraft came straight from Boeing’s production line, and were handed …

• Naval Warfare

  RNOV Khassab delivered to Oman

  28th June 2016

  Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) has made the interim delivery of the fourth and final patrol vessel RNOV Khassab to the Royal Navy of Oman …

• Defence Notes

  Europe braces for defence impact of Brexit

  27th June 2016

  Among the still-to-be-determined effects of the UK referendum vote in favour of leaving the EU are its impact on the European Common Security and Defence …

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 ...