• Uncrewed Vehicles

  EDA launches ERA project

  12th February 2016

  The European Defence Agency (EDA) and an Airbus Defence and Space-led consortium have launched the Enhanced RPAS Automation (ERA) project to integrate Remotely Piloted Aircraft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: All aboard the Skylark

  12th February 2016

  The Skylark 3 mini-UAS from Elbit Systems will make its first public appearance at the Singapore Air Show next week. In addition the company has announced that the system has already …

• Naval Warfare

  UK increases NATO maritime commitment

  12th February 2016

  British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said that the UK will increase its maritime commitment to NATO exercises and activities in 2016. The announcement was …

• Defence Notes

  Interoperability challenge for ISR Brigade

  11th February 2016

  The new 1 ISR Brigade for the British Army is still finding its feet and is facing challenges as it nears 16 months since being …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Budget: USAF commits to space competitions

  11th February 2016

  The 2017 US budget has confirmed the extension and continuation of its space satellite programmes. It is providing a budget of $7.1 billion, which is $100 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mi-171E delivered to Uganda

  11th February 2016

  Russian Helicopters has delivered an Mi-171E helicopter in VIP configuration to Uganda, it announced on 10 February. Russian exporter Rosoboronexport signed the delivery contract in 2015. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow: Asia revs up helo engine buys

  11th February 2016

  The demand for new helicopter engines in Asia is on the rise, despite the global rotorcraft market currently being in the grips of a downturn. …

• Defence Helicopter

  CAE USA to refresh MH-60 trainers

  11th February 2016

  CAE USA has been authorised to commence work on a contract for the US Navy MH-60R/S Tech Refresh programme, the company announced on 10 February. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow: Maritime patrol presence for Boeing

  11th February 2016

  The US Navy is scheduled to have a variety of assets on static display in Singapore including a P-8A Poseidon MPA and a USMC MV-22 …

• Training

  Singapore Airshow: New Indonesian simulator ready

  10th February 2016

  Following on from the Australian Government’s decision to gift four of their retired C-130H aircraft to the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) in 2011, a subsequent …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing extends UTC's contract

  10th February 2016

  Boeing has selected UTC Aerospace Systems to continue supplying landing gear to the United States Air Force (USAF) for its fleet of Boeing C-17 Globemaster …

• Training

  Kratos to provide engineering services

  10th February 2016

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ Micro Systems subsidiary has been awarded a series of contract modifications by the US Army, the company announced on 8 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow: Bell building momentum with trifecta

  10th February 2016

  Despite an industry downturn, much of it driven by the oil and gas segment, Bell Helicopter ‘had a good year’ in 2015. Although the OEM …

• Defence Notes

  US defence budget contains modernisation risk

  10th February 2016

  The proposed FY2017 US defence budget includes some risk to programme modernization, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer Mike McCord acknowledged at …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  S-100 flies with detect and avoid system

  9th February 2016

  Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 UAS has taken part in a demonstration during which it was fitted with a newly developed airborne detect and avoid system, the company …

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 - fixed-wing, 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. ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, 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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early 2021 Royal ...

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. ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• 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).

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

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

  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 ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...