• Naval Warfare

  Spirit starts production of RAAF P-8A

  24th November 2015

  Spirit AeroSystems commenced production of the first P-8A aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in October, the company announced on 20 November.  The first …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus C295W demonstrated in Bolivia

  24th November 2015

  A Mexican Navy (SEMAR)-owned Airbus Defence and Space C295W has aircraft carried out demonstration flights in extreme hot and high conditions, Airbus announced on 20 November.  The demonstration flights …

• Naval Warfare

  SDSR gives Royal Navy OPV boost

  23rd November 2015

  The UK will purchase a further two offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy (RN), it has been announced as part of the Strategic Defence …

• Naval Warfare

  RAN’s third AWD build underway

  23rd November 2015

  Construction on the third Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has begun, with the keel for the vessel laid by the …

• Digital Battlespace

  US successfully tests Patriot system

  23rd November 2015

  The US Army has successfully completed the first in a series of flight tests for the latest Post-Deployment Build 8 (PDB-8) upgrades to Raytheon's Patriot …

• Defence Notes

  UK force deployment at risk

  21st November 2015

  The underlying basis for UK defence policy – to deploy forces strategically – is being undermined by technology and tactics adopted by potential adversaries. In …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rising sun beckons for Global Hawk

  20th November 2015

  The US State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale (FMS) of three RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs to Japan, with associated equipment, in a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triton UAS starts testing

  20th November 2015

  The MQ-4C Triton UAS has entered operational assessment (OA) with the US Navy as it moves toward its Milestone C review and entry into low-rate initial …

• Naval Warfare

  Merger possible for Ukraine maritime forces

  20th November 2015

  The Ukrainian Navy and State Border Service could be merged into the State Border Guard Service in a bid to improve maritime security, consolidate assets …

• Training

  RAAF trainers set for upgrade

  20th November 2015

  DiSTI has been awarded a contract from Boeing to upgrade Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18E maintenance trainers, the company announced on 18 November. The …

• Defence Notes

  China snares Su-35 fighters…finally

  20th November 2015

  After protracted negotiations, Russia has finally inked a deal with China for the sale of 24 Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighters. Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of …

• Military Logistics

  QinetiQ technical services for UK

  20th November 2015

  QinetiQ will deliver technical services for the UK’s fast jet and A400M heavy-lift aircraft programmes under new agreements with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Argentina requests US helicopters

  20th November 2015

  The US State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale (FMS) to Argentina for Bell 412EP helicopters and associated equipment, the Defense Security Cooperation …

• Defence Helicopter

  Robinson's R44 Cadet to debut in 2016

  19th November 2015

  Robinson Helicopter has announced that it plans to debut the R44 Cadet, a two-person R44 helicopter, in the first quarter of 2016.  The Cadet, designed …

• Land Warfare

  Australia goes IFV shopping

  19th November 2015

  Australia has issued an RfI for a new tracked infantry carrier for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).  Issued under Project Land 400 Phase 3 for …

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 ...