• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman confirms suspension of Firebird production

  19th April 2022

  Northrop Grumman has suspended production in its long-running Firebird programme.

• Defence Notes

  US approves new $800 million arms transfer package to Ukraine

  14th April 2022

  Switchblade loitering munitions, Mi-17 helicopters and additional Javelin missiles are among a host of weapons and equipment to be provided by the US to Ukraine in a new military aid package.

• Defence Helicopter

  Australian Army Aviation battles organisational and technological challenges

  25th February 2022

  Current workforce models are not aligned with the contemporary operating environment, according to the head of Australian Army Aviation.

• Land Warfare

  USMC to revise Force Design 2030 but MBT removal plans remain unchanged

  10th May 2022

  The USMC is working on an updated version of the Force Design 2030 vision. Although the new document will take into account the current geopolitical scenario, it will not reassess the decision to divest the MBT fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  Final French FREMM frigate’s first sea trials begin

  23rd February 2022

  Lorraine will be the French Navy’s eighth FREMM frigate and second with enhanced air defence capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  Turkey begins construction of indigenous OPV

  14th April 2022

  ASFAT's design concept includes extensive armament and a sensor package that offshore patrol vessels could be equipped with to enhance their capabilities in a conflict scenario.

• Land Warfare

  Climate-altered battlefield will reshape procurement processes (Opinion)

  11th April 2022

  Although climate change has been a global concern in the last decades, recently it became a pressing issue for the military and defence domains.

• Defence Helicopter

  SAMI and Boeing seek JV for rotary-wing MRO

  11th April 2022

  With Saudi military aircraft numbers set to double in the next ten years, SAMI and Boeing are joining forces for helicopter MRO in the kingdom.

• Digital Battlespace

  US seeks resilient waveforms for improved C4ISR interoperability

  23rd March 2022

  A new RfI from the Joint Tactical Networking Center seeks information on innovative solutions and alternative approaches from industry for software-defined radio waveform resiliency technologies and products.

• Naval Warfare

  DSA 2022: Japan commissions first ship in new frigate class

  25th March 2022

  Both Japan and South Korea are building frigates, with the former commissioning the first of a new class and the latter launching the last of a class on 22 March.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems clinches ACV C4/UAS study

  8th April 2022

  A variant of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle with a C4/UAS payload could help US Marines to observe their surroundings, collect and integrate information, and sense new targets over the horizon.

• Land Warfare

  Challenger 3 upgrade includes three phases but ammo requirements remain unclear

  21st April 2022

  There are three distinct phases to the Challenger 3 MBT upgrade plan for the British Army, but the MoD is still considering its 120mm ammunition options.

• Land Warfare

  Japan’s army establishes new electronic operations unit

  29th March 2022

  Japan is expanding its number of EW units, plus it is developing high-powered microwave weapons able to counter enemy UAVs.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock backs both designs for Korean aircraft carrier

  24th March 2022

  Babcock has signed an MoU with Daewoo Shipbuilding and is now backing both of the main contenders for Korea’s CVX programme.

• Naval Warfare

  UK to supply Ukraine with unspecified anti-ship missiles

  12th April 2022

  The commitment to provide Ukraine with anti-ship missile systems came following a surprise visit to Kyiv by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday, 9 April.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects-Short Range (LE-SR) [US Army]

  Background Goal The Army sees LE-SR as a family of systems consisting of an air vehicle, effects payload, mission system applications, and associated support equipment ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Baby Shark 260

  The Foxtech Baby Shark 260 is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV for commercial and civil operations, which has four spar-mounted rotors to provide vertical lift, a pusher ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Proteus

  Proteus is a technology demonstrator that Leonardo is developing in collaboration with the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) Future Capabilities Group and the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus is the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military UGVs

  Avenger

  In January 2017, Med-Eng announced the launch of a new bomb disposal and tactical robot, called the Avenger, at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Ultra

  The Ultra UAV, or HCMC, is a fixed-wing twin-engined cargo-carrying platform manufactured by Windracers. The platform is mainly aimed at the commercial market and has conducted trials ...

• Nimbus 1800

  Foxtech's Nimbus 1800 is a tri-copter, lightweight, fixed-wing VTOL UAV designed for civilian and commercial mapping and inspection roles. It has a 2.8kg weight without ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Loong 2

  The Loong 2 is a rotary-wing mini-UAV manufactured by LoongUAV. Designed for ISR missions, the UAV features a universal plug-and-play standardised interface, meaning a lot of different ...