• Uncrewed Vehicles

  South Africa to introduce new RPAS regulations

  20th May 2015

  The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) announced on 17 May that it will introduce new regulations for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in civil …

• Defence Helicopter

  IMDEX Asia: Airbus helps helicopters hit the deck

  20th May 2015

  Airbus Defence and Space is using the IMDEX Asia exhibition to promote the virtues of its DeckFinder positioning system, which helps maritime helicopters and UAVs …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy approves Northrop's VMS 9.3

  20th May 2015

  Northrop Grumman's Voyage Management System (VMS) version 9.3 has been approved by the US Navy on board the SSN and SSGN nuclear-powered submarines, as announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Improved UAS batteries needed to boost endurance, says C-Astral chief

  19th May 2015

  Better battery technology is crucial for the continued development of small unmanned air systems, according to Marko Peljhan, co-founder and CEO of Slovenian aerospace firm …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK, France conduct trials with counter-UAV system

  19th May 2015

  Three British technology companies say they have produced the first integrated counter-UAV defence system, having recently conducted trials with both the UK and French Ministry …

• Digital Battlespace

  Link Microtek named L-3's SATCOM service centre

  19th May 2015

  L-3 Narda-MITEQ has appointed Link Microtek as the UK and Ireland service centre for its satellite communications (SATCOM) equipment range, Link Microtek announced on 18 …

• Land Warfare

  ThalesRaytheonSystems to upgrade NATO ACCS

  19th May 2015

  ThalesRaytheonSystems signed a $105.37 million contract to upgrade the NATO's Air Command and Control System (ACCS) missile defence capabilities on 11 May. The company will …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Malaysia, US conduct joint naval exercises

  19th May 2015

  The USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group conducted a series of exercises with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) on …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: USS Fort Worth makes itself at home in Changi

  19th May 2015

  The Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth departed San Diego on 17 November 2014 to begin her 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore, arriving …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Insitu shows off UAV control station

  19th May 2015

  Insitu Pacific is demonstrating the Insitu Common Open mission Management Command and Control (ICOMC2) ground control station, which allows one operator to manage multiple UAVs, …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: RSN chief stresses need for regional security cooperation

  19th May 2015

  As various navies gather in Singapore for IMDEX Asia 2015, Asia-Pacific’s premier international maritime defence show, Singapore’s naval chief is taking a pragmatic view about …

• Land Warfare

  US Army ultra-light vehicle RFI completed

  19th May 2015

  As the Request for Information (RFI) for the US Army’s Ultra Light Combat Vehicle (ULCV) study closes, industry are lining up for a competition. Polaris …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Robonic, Lockheed team for UAS launcher

  19th May 2015

  Robonic and Lockheed Martin have entered an agreement for the development of a fourth-generation pneumatic launcher for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) called OHTO. Under the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DeSIRE II demonstration project launches

  19th May 2015

  The European Space Agency (ESA) and European Defence Agency (EDA) have launched the DeSIRE II demonstration project to develop services provided by Remotely Piloted Aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus H145M receives EASA certification

  19th May 2015

  Airbus Helicopters announced the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of its H145M helicopter on 15 May, paving the way for military type approval and …

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 ...