• Digital Battlespace

  USAF orders Viperfish SDI-1 video recorders

  8th February 2016

  Gatekeeper Systems has received a purchase order from Stirling Computers to provide 25 Viperfish SDI-1 high-definition airborne digital video recorders to the US Air Force, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aeros plan Ukraine surveillance

  8th February 2016

  Ukraine's border security is set for a re-vamp following a deal what will improve its surveillance systems. The signing of an MoU between the Ukrainian …

• Training

  Upgrades continue at UK’s MSHATF

  8th February 2016

  Maintaining concurrency between a flight simulator and the actual aircraft is a key factor in preventing negative training. Every upgrade to the aircraft requires changes …

• Naval Warfare

  Searchmaster radar in first flight

  5th February 2016

  Thales' Searchmaster radar has completed its first flight, marking the start of a six month flight test campaign, the company announced on 4 February. Thales is …

• Training

  UK orders Beechcraft training aircraft

  5th February 2016

  Beechcraft Defense has been subcontracted by Affinity Flying Training Services to provide ten Beechcraft T-6C Texan II military training aircraft to the UK Ministry of …

• Digital Battlespace

  GPS III satellite completes TVAC test

  5th February 2016

  Lockheed Martin completed system-level Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing of its first GPS III satellite for the US Air Force in December, the company announced on …

• Training

  Affinity to support Ascent

  5th February 2016

  Affinity Flying Services, an Elbit Systems and KBR joint venture, has been awarded a contract valued at £500 million to support Ascent Flight Training in …

• Land Warfare

  Germany and Netherlands sign cooperation agreement

  5th February 2016

  German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen and her Dutch counterpart, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, signed a letter of intent in Amsterdam on 4 February to deepen …

• Defence Helicopter

  NHI delivers sixth NH90 to Norway

  5th February 2016

  NHIndustries (NHI) has delivered the sixth NH90 helicopter to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA), it announced on 4 February. The delivery marks the end …

• Land Warfare

  UK to replace protected mobility

  5th February 2016

  Plans to acquire Multi-Role Vehicle – Protected (MRV-P) Troop Carrying Vehicles (TCV) and a Future Protected Battlefield Ambulance (FPBFA) for the British Army have been …

• Digital Battlespace

  Testing complete on first GPS satellite

  4th February 2016

  Despite earlier delays, the completion of the latest batch of testing means that Lockheed Martin's first GPS III satellite will be available for launch this …

• Land Warfare

  More troubles for Canadian TAPV

  4th February 2016

  The Canadian Army’s troubled Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) has run into more technical issues and delivery of the first vehicle is now 22 months …

• Naval Warfare

  Trinidadian patrol boats en route

  4th February 2016

  The remaining six vessels built by Dutch shipbuilder, Damen Schelde for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) will be delivered by the middle of the …

• Training

  RAAF selects Boeing P-8 VMT

  4th February 2016

  Boeing has been selected to provide the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with P-8 maintenance training devices, it announced on 3 February. The RAAF’s order …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cubic completes GATR acquisition

  4th February 2016

  Cubic has completed its acquisition of GATR Technologies after receiving the final US regulatory approval for the purchase, it announced on 2 February. Cubic acquired …

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 ...