• Digital Battlespace

  DoD awards FHE manufacturing contract

  31st August 2015

  FlexTech Alliance has been awarded a cooperative agreement by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to establish and manage a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) for …

• Land Warfare

  ADF signs grenade launcher contract

  28th August 2015

  The Australian government has signed the contract with Nioa for the lightweight automatic grenade launcher acqusition, the Department of Defence announced on 27 August. The …

• Military Logistics

  USAF concerned over KC-46A delays

  28th August 2015

  Continuing delays to the maiden flight of the USAF’s next generation aerial tanker has increased concerns among Pentagon officials. This has prompted a revision of …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK MoD extends Niteworks to 2018

  28th August 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has extended its contract with Niteworks for two years beyond its scheduled end date of March 2016, with the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Viper gains first export customer

  28th August 2015

  Pakistan continues to build up its attack helicopter capability and is now to receive new-build aircraft from the US, according to a contract awarded to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Neuron programme progresses

  27th August 2015

  The Neuron unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator has been successfully tested in a flight test campaign in Italy, it was announced on 25 August. …

• Defence Notes

  AIM-9X fired from MML

  27th August 2015

  Raytheon and the US Army have successfully test fired an AIM-9X Block II missile from the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-I (IFPC 2-I) Block …

• Digital Battlespace

  Helinet deploys downlink for Suffolk police

  27th August 2015

  Helinet Technologies has deployed a customised microwave downlink solution for the aviation section of the Suffolk County Police Department in the state of New York, …

• Digital Battlespace

  KC-10 Extender programme milestone

  27th August 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) received the 150th KC-10 Extender aerial refuelling tanker aircraft from a Northrop Grumman maintenance depot, the company announced on 26 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AECOM wins NSWC support order

  27th August 2015

  AECOM has been awarded a task order to provide support services for the US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren division, the company announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Mincham signs Triton supplier contract

  27th August 2015

  Mincham Aviation has been awarded the second Australian supplier contract from North Grumman for the low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot of the US Navy's MQ-4C …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saudi to get rotorcraft support centre

  27th August 2015

  Boeing has signed an agreement with Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) and Alsalam Aircraft Company to create a rotorcraft support centre in Saudi Arabia, the …

• Military Logistics

  Australia tests parachute delivery

  27th August 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Australian Army boosted their parachute capabilities in the last month. The official Air Force newspaper announced that the two …

• Land Warfare

  India’s medium tank won’t clash with Arjun

  27th August 2015

  The Indian defence minister, Manhoar Parrikar, has stated that Indian Army requirements for a medium tank are not in conflict with the Arjun Main Battle …

• Military Logistics

  Canadian navy, USCG train together

  26th August 2015

  Crew from the Royal Canadian Navy and US Coast Guard (USCG) have trained together in a recent joint training exercise to improve the inter-operability of …

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 ...