• Defence Helicopter

  AW159 wins in the east… again

  23rd March 2016

  News has emerged that the company formerly known as AgustaWestland has gained a second export customer for its AW159 Wildcat helicopter. The Philippines will join …

• Training

  Australia demos air-land integration

  22nd March 2016

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Australian Army have conducted a firepower and combat team quick attack demonstration as part of Exercise Jericho …

• Digital Battlespace

  Kelvin Hughes details UK supply contract

  22nd March 2016

  Kelvin Hughes will supply its SharpEye radar for more than 60 Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships, submarines and shore facilities, the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Controp, Defsys sign agreement

  22nd March 2016

  A new cooperation agreement signed between Controp and Indian company Defsys Solutions will see Controp’s electro-optical (EO) payloads produced and marketed in India by Defsys …

• Naval Warfare

  Indonesia clashes with China

  22nd March 2016

  A spat has arisen between Indonesia and China over an incident at sea involving a Chinese fishing boat and maritime security vessels in the South …

• Naval Warfare

  New SOC-R boats for Thai navy

  22nd March 2016

  The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) received six Special Operations Craft - Riverine (SOC-R) on 18 March to replace aging Patrol Boat Riverine (PBR). These 10m-long …

• Training

  UAV pilot training struggles continue

  21st March 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) is continuing to fall behind with the management of its unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilots and further action is needed, …

• Defence Notes

  3D-printed component on Trident missile

  21st March 2016

  A 3D-printed missile component, a connector backshell, has flown on three of Lockheed Martin's Trident II D5 fleet ballistic missiles during US Navy testing, the …

• Training

  Beechcraft receives NFTC contract

  21st March 2016

  Textron Aviation subsidiary Beechcraft Defense has been awarded a five-year contract by CAE to provide service support for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dual control Mi-28NE enters production

  21st March 2016

  Russian Helicopters’ Rostvertol has commenced serial production of the Mi-28NE combat helicopter with dual controls, the company announced on 16 March. The dual controls will …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus to sell Defence Electronics

  21st March 2016

  Airbus Group has reached an agreement for the sale of its Defence Electronics business to KKR for around $1.23 billion, the company announced on 18 …

• Military Logistics

  MT30 turbines ordered for LHD

  21st March 2016

  Rolls-Royce has been selected to provide its MT30 gas turbine for the Italian Navy's new Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD) multi-purpose amphibious vessel, it announced on 17 …

• Defence Notes

  US can use five Philippine bases

  21st March 2016

  The US will be permitted to use five military bases in the Philippines under the auspices of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The EDCA …

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA completes SIMBAD-RC trial

  18th March 2016

  MBDA has successfully completed two Mistral firings using a SIMBAD-RC firing post, the company announced on 17 March, marking the last technical milestone before customer …

• Land Warfare

  MBDA outlines key countries for FLAADS

  18th March 2016

  MBDA has identified at least four countries that could be potential customers for its land-based future local area air defense system (FLAADS), currently in development …

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 ...