• Defence Helicopter

  Spirit completes fuselage for V-280 Valor

  23rd September 2015

  Spirit AeroSystems has completed construction of the first fuselage for Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor aircraft, the company announced on 22 September. The composite fuselage will …

• Digital Battlespace

  CACI to continue NAWCAD support

  23rd September 2015

  The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has awarded a $63.5 million bridge contract to CACI International to continue its support for NAWCAD’s …

• Defence Helicopter

  NHI delivers more NH90 NFH

  23rd September 2015

  The 15th NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) has been officially handed over to the French defence procurement agency (DGA) for the French Navy, Airbus Helicopters …

• Naval Warfare

  LCS shows off SeaRAM skills

  23rd September 2015

  A US Navy littoral combat ship (LCS) has fired a Rolling Airframe Missile from a SeaRAM anti-ship defence system for the first time, Raytheon has announced. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Russian EW systems for export

  23rd September 2015

  Two Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems are due to secure their first export orders within months. Igor Nasenkov, deputy director general of KRET, a defence …

• Land Warfare

  Saab wins Ajax camouflage contract

  23rd September 2015

  Saab will supply Mobile Camouflage Systems (MCS) for the UK’s Ajax armoured vehicle under a contract received from General Dynamics UK. The contract will see …

• Military Logistics

  Japan's tanker bid goes solo

  23rd September 2015

  In its quest to obtain four aerial tankers via its KC-X competition launched in June, the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) has been left with …

• Defence Helicopter

  India clears Boeing helicopter deal

  22nd September 2015

  India has cleared the procurement of 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy lifters for the Indian Air Force.  The country’s Cabinet …

• Military Logistics

  MBDA to sustain UK ASRAAM stocks

  22nd September 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract to MBDA to sustain the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) …

• Defence Helicopter

  L-3 supports Apache upgrade

  22nd September 2015

  Science and Engineering Services has selected L-3 Communications to provide its Manned/Unmanned Teaming-eXpanded Capabilities (MUMT-X) system in support of  the US Army’s Apache helicopter programme. …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham develops aerial refuelling coupling

  22nd September 2015

  Cobham Mission Systems has developed a new aerial refuelling reception coupling for new tanker aircraft platforms, the company announced on 16 September. The coupling is …

• Land Warfare

  Support for ADF B-vehicle fleet inching closer

  22nd September 2015

  The Australian Department of Defence has referred a $175.50 million, LAND 121 Stage 2 Unit Sustainment Facilities Project to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales launches Sonar 2093 upgrade

  21st September 2015

  Thales has launched an upgrade to its Sonar 2093 minehunting sonar that will be introduced on the Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunters, the company announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  China takes wraps off Wing Loong 2

  21st September 2015

  The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) took the wraps off its second-generation Wing Loong MALE UCAV at the Beijing Air Show from 16-19 September.  Powered …

• Land Warfare

  First view of Verba MANPADs

  21st September 2015

  Russia’s new next generation man-portable air defence (MANPAD) system was put on public display for the first time. The 9K333 Verba MANPAD was shown by …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...