• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing signs support contract for US aircraft

  4th February 2015

  Boeing signed the second phase of a contract for providing support for 11 aircraft with the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the company announced on …

• Military Logistics

  First Malaysian Airbus A400M makes maiden flight

  4th February 2015

  The first Airbus A400M airlifter for the Royal Malaysian Air Force has successfully completed its maiden flight, the company announced on 3 February. The Spanish …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Budget: Spending decline on major UAS ends

  4th February 2015

  The FY 2016 budget request shows that the decline in spending on major unmanned aerial systems may have come to a halt. The proposed budget …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Budget: Fielding date of UCLASS pushed to 2023

  4th February 2015

  The US Navy’s carrier-based UAV programme has been given an extra three years for development, according to a navy budget official at the briefing of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Vietnam grounds veteran UH-1 fleet

  4th February 2015

  The Vietnamese military grounded its entire Bell UH-1 Iroquois fleet after the crash of an example on 28 January. The craft had taken off from …

• Defence Helicopter

  China and Russia edge closer to heavy-lift platform

  4th February 2015

  Despite some slow progress in recent years, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) continues to jointly develop a heavy-lift helicopter with its partner Russian …

• Military Logistics

  Embraer KC-390 completes first flight

  4th February 2015

  Embraer has successfully completed the first flight of its new KC-390 aerial refuelling and military transport jet, the company announced on 3 February. The aircraft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  White Condor flies using hydrogen fuel-cell

  4th February 2015

  The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has flown a UAV powered by a hydrogen fuel cell for the first time, in a flight lasting …

• Defence Helicopter

  US budget: Army dares Congress to blink first

  3rd February 2015

  The US Army has placed itself firmly on a collision course with Congress over its controversial aviation restructure initiative (ARI). Essentially making the argument that …

• Military Logistics

  First US MLP ship completes post-delivery tests

  3rd February 2015

  The first ship of the US Navy's Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) fleet, USNS Montford Point (MLP 1), has successfully completed post-delivery tests and trials, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ukraine mulls lessons of war

  3rd February 2015

  Throughout the military conflict in the breakaway east of the country, Ukraine’s helicopter units have seen occasional successes, but have also suffered painful losses. The …

• Defence Notes

  Generals hampering effective training

  3rd February 2015

  Militaries across the world continue to struggle to effectively train between nations and across services, despite the fact that increased interoperability would benefit armed forces-readiness.  …

• Digital Battlespace

  US urged to supply Ukraine with weapons

  3rd February 2015

  As the Obama administration once again mulls a decision to arm the Ukrainian Army, a leading group of US policymakers has urged the West to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CybAero begins factory testing APID 60 VTOL

  3rd February 2015

  CybAero has begun factory testing three APID 60 VTOL UAS set for delivery to China Customs, the company announced on 2 February. The UAS will …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop to deliver five ALMDS pods to US Navy

  3rd February 2015

  Northrop Grumman will continue the production of AN/AES-1Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) under a new US Navy contract, the company said on 2 February. …

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 ...