• Digital Battlespace

  South Korea boosts ballistic missile defences

  23rd February 2016

  Ballistic missile defence is a top priority in South Korea after North Korea’s latest nuclear test on 6 January and rocket test on 7 February.  …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: Reduced launch footprint lined up for ScanEagle

  23rd February 2016

  Future developments to the ScanEagle UAS could see a reduced footprint for launch operations in order to make the system more deployable. Insitu officials present …

• Digital Battlespace

  US to upgrade LPDS

  22nd February 2016

  Thales and Ultra Electronics Advanced Tactical Systems have received a US General Services Administration contract to provide an upgraded version of Link-16 Pulse Deconfliction Server …

• Digital Battlespace

  US develops cyber test bed

  22nd February 2016

  The US Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) is working on a virtual cyber test bed, dubbed USS Secure, the US Navy announced this month. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sentinel demonstrates ViDAR on ScanEagle

  22nd February 2016

  Australian company Sentient Vision said in February that it had demonstrated the ability of its Kestrel Maritime ViDAR optical detection system aboard a Royal Australian …

• Land Warfare

  Thailand wants more tanks

  22nd February 2016

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) wants to buy more main battle tanks (MBT), with Chinese and Russian offerings are most likely at this point. The RTA …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: Jungle penetrating optics considered for region

  22nd February 2016

  Aeronautics could consider the development of jungle penetrating optical payloads for their Orbiter 2 UAV for customers in the Asia Pacific region. In 2014 the …

• Naval Warfare

  Singapore Airshow: Do 228 production ramps up

  22nd February 2016

  After series production commenced, the first Dornier 228NG aircraft will roll off the line into a customer’s hands later this year. With production of the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: UAV plunges into the deep end

  21st February 2016

  ST Aerospace demonstrated a novel flying and swimming unmanned vehicle at the Singapore Air Show. The Unmanned Hybrid Vehicle (UHV) is capable of through-air and …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow: Airbus prioritises Aussie Tiger problems

  20th February 2016

  Airbus Helicopters is making the Australian Army’s troubled Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) programme a top priority, the company insisted at the Singapore Airshow. Philippe …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: ST Electronics takes aim at renegade UAVs

  20th February 2016

  There is growing concern in many parts of the world about the proliferation of UAVs that can cause not only a public nuisance, but also …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: Boosted performance for Global Hawk

  19th February 2016

  Northrop Grumman announced completion of the MQ-4C Triton’s operational assessment during the Singapore Airshow, but the company also disclosed of a number of other developments. …

• Military Logistics

  AAMSI cleared to support P-3 aircraft

  19th February 2016

  Associated Aircraft Manufacturing and Sales (AAMSI) has been approved to provide manufacturing and avionics repair for multiple components of the Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion aircraft, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to secure Norway LSV comms

  19th February 2016

  SAAB has selected Thales to secure satellite communications for the Royal Norwegian Navy’s new Logistic Support Vessel (LSV), Thales announced on 18 February. The company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK orders Zephyr 8s

  19th February 2016

  The UK's decision to acquire the Airbus Defence and Space solar-powered Zephyr 8 high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) craft has been formalised with an order for two …

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 ...