• Naval Warfare

  US coastal force seeks 'intimidating' patrol boat

  28th March 2016

  The US Navy's Coastal Riverine Force (CRF) is looking to replace up to 160 of its 25ft and 34ft force protection boats with a larger …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2016: Nimda offers T-72 upgrade

  28th March 2016

  Israeli firm Nimda is positioning itself to offer an upgrade for the Indian Army’s ageing Ajeya main battle tanks (MBT), a domestic version of the …

• Naval Warfare

  Kelvin Hughes details latest order

  25th March 2016

  Kelvin Hughes’ SharpEye radar systems will be installed on a range of vessels being delivered to the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard (ROPCG) under a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Norway's AW101 takes flight

  25th March 2016

  The first of 16 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters being built for the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MoJ) has successfully performed its maiden flight …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Malaysia selects Thales UAV

  25th March 2016

  The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the country’s coast guard, has selected a Spanish-built fixed-wing UAV for use aboard new patrol vessels. The winning design …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46A delays unlikely to have big impact

  24th March 2016

  A possible delivery delay of seven months for the US Air Force’s next-generation KC-46A is unlikely to have a long-term effect on the service’s tanker …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia's helicopter war in Syria

  24th March 2016

  Despite Russia’s announcement that it would begin removing its forces from Syria, helicopter units are still active in the war-torn country. The latest chapter in …

• Land Warfare

  Verba ready for international markets

  24th March 2016

  Rostec State Corporation subsidiary Rosoboronexport has commenced active promotion of its Verba man-portable air defence missile system (MANPADS) to international markets, Rostec announced on 22 …

• Training

  Italy orders nine Aermacchi M-346s

  24th March 2016

  Finmeccanica has signed a $337 million contract with the Italian Ministry of Defence for another nine Aermacchi M-346 advanced training aircraft for the Italian Air …

• Naval Warfare

  Type 26 progresses with BAE contract

  23rd March 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded a £472 million 15-month contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to progress the Type 26 Global Combat Ship …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAV Factory targets payload market

  23rd March 2016

  UAV Factory has launched a new division - Octopus ISR Systems - announced on 22 March. The division will offer intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions …

• Digital Battlespace

  India to get FTA optronic sensors

  23rd March 2016

  Controp Precision Technologies announced on 21 March that it is supplying its FTA optronic sensor system to the Indian Army. The sensors are being supplied …

• Military Logistics

  US, Turkish KC-135 units fly together

  23rd March 2016

  The Turkish Air Force and the US Air Force (USAF) have flown their KC-135 Stratotankers in formation over the Nevada test and training range, the …

• Military Logistics

  Australia to upgrade defence ATC

  23rd March 2016

  The Australian government has approved an AUD$409 million project to upgrade the nation’s defence air traffic control facilities, the government announced on 18 March. The …

• Land Warfare

  China S-400 deliveries near

  23rd March 2016

  The People’s Liberation Army of China is expected to get a new long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. It will take delivery of the Russian-made S-400 …

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 ...