• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: UMS Skeldar get flight approval across Norway

  4th May 2016

  Norway has granted UMS Skeldar the right to conduct commercial operations countrywide, excluding certain restricted areas such as airports and urban areas. This approval extends …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: AR5 continues development for EMSA requirement

  4th May 2016

  Tekever is continuing to develop the AR5 Life Ray Evolution UAS for a future requirement by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) for an unmanned …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: Future army kit to be optionally-manned

  4th May 2016

  Future procurements of vehicles or aircraft by the US Army will likely include the requirement that they have optionally-manned or robotic capabilities, the general responsible …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: Mexico acquires VTOL fixed-wing UAV (video)

  4th May 2016

  UAS manufacturer Arcturus UAV has revealed the Mexican Navy as a customer for its VTOL-capable fixed-wing unmanned aircraft. According to the California company, the navy …

• Training

  ITEC 2016: USAF TPS upgrades to VR-Vantage

  4th May 2016

  Calspan has completed the upgrade to the US Air Force Test Pilot School’s (USAF TPS) Flight Sciences Simulator (FSS) with VT MÄK’s VR-Vantage IG image …

• Defence Helicopter

  Tunisia seeks OH-58 equipment

  4th May 2016

  The US State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale to Tunisia of equipment for the Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter, the Defense Security Cooperation …

• Digital Battlespace

  All hail the immortal app?

  4th May 2016

  A Raytheon BBN Technologies-led team has been awarded a contract sponsored by the US Air Force (USAF) to develop methods to make mobile applications viable …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saab to continue supporting Helicopter 15

  4th May 2016

  Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, for continued delivery of support and maintenance for Helicopter 15, the company announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo's Osprey gets wings

  4th May 2016

  The newly re-named Italian defence giant Leonardo has launched its new second generation AESA surveillance radar called Osprey. The company – formerly Finmeccanica – told …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky details CRH progress

  4th May 2016

  Sikorsky has successfully executed the air vehicle preliminary design review (PDR) for the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme, it announced on 2 May. The training …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: Buzz for new Black Hornet (video)

  3rd May 2016

  Norwegian company Prox Dynamics is showing off an improved version of its nano drone at Xponential, called the Black Hornet 2. The nano drone weighs …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: Underwater UAVs to become a reality

  3rd May 2016

  The future of unmanned aircraft could see UAVs and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) combined into one system to provide extra mission capability for the US …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: US Army looks for new small UAS

  3rd May 2016

  The US Army is looking to provide dismounted soldiers with a UAS toolkit by adding a small quadcopter to the already proven Puma and Raven …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: More lasers designators for Shadow

  3rd May 2016

  The US Army wants its unmanned aircraft fleet to have a greater role on the battlefield, including the vital job of laser designating targets so …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris announces US Navy jammer order

  3rd May 2016

  Harris Corporation has received an $88 million order from the US Navy for the supply of electronic jammers for the Super Hornet and F/A-18 Hornet …

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 ...