• Naval Warfare

  Japan to continue counter-piracy efforts

  7th August 2014

  The Japanese government has identified piracy as a major area of ongoing concern in its annual defence White Paper issued on 5 August, and has …

• Land Warfare

  Japan to reform ground forces

  7th August 2014

  Japan’s Defence White Paper published yesterday has outlined some wide ranging changes to the Japan Self-Defence Force. Although the main focus is on securing the …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon fleet grows

  7th August 2014

  The US Navy has taken delivery of its 15th Boeing-built P-8A Poseidon aircraft at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on schedule, the company reported on 6 …

• Defence Helicopter

  USMC pushes Japan’s V-22 purchase

  7th August 2014

  Delegates from the United States Marine Corps (USMC) have met with Japan’s senior military leaders to advance plans to supply V-22 Osprey tiltrotors to the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan moves to strengthen ISR capabilities

  7th August 2014

  Japan’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a raft of C4ISR initiatives as part of its latest defence white paper in response to the ‘increasingly …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to continue BACN mission support

  7th August 2014

  Northrop Grumman will continue operating and supporting the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system for overseas contingency missions for the US Air Force under an …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing wins NATO AWACS upgrade work

  6th August 2014

  Boeing will install digital flight decks and avionics on 13 NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft under a $250 million contract announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army focuses on 'direct action' operations (video)

  6th August 2014

  During late July and early August 2014, the US Army 3BCT/101ABN (Air Assault), ‘The Rakkasans’, conducted a training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center …

• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland, Italian Air Force team for training services

  6th August 2014

  AgustaWestland has signed a cooperation agreement with the Italian Air Force that will see them work together on the development of rotary-wing training services. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Serco wins MRAP C4ISR support contract

  5th August 2014

  Serco will provide C4ISR support services for the US military’s Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles under a $9 million contract announced on 5 August. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Wideband STT receives NSA certification

  5th August 2014

  The Wideband KOR-24A Small Tactical Terminal (STT) has been cleared for delivery to US and international military customers following NSA certification. The system is already …

• Naval Warfare

  Work underway on UK small boat services contract

  5th August 2014

  Babcock has begun repair and maintenance work on the small boat services contract it was awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in June. …

• Defence Helicopter

  First overseas deployment for Puma 2

  5th August 2014

  The UK MoD’s Puma HC.2 helicopter has successfully completed hot and high flight trials during exercise ‘Hot Blade’ in Portugal, marking the first overseas deployment …

• Defence Helicopter

  US increases military aid to Iraq

  4th August 2014

  The Pentagon is set to increase its military aid to Iraq with the approval of two possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contracts for the provision …

• Defence Helicopter

  Tiger HAD put to the test in Africa

  4th August 2014

  The French Army’s Tiger HAD attack helicopter has undergone a series of trials in the desert of Djibouti as part of the operational testing 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 - fixed-wing, 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. ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early 2021 Royal ...

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. ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• 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).

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...