• Defence Helicopter

  India to launch Mi-17 and Ka-226T production

  16th December 2014

  India will begin licensed production of the Mi-17 and Ka-226T helicopters, following a political agreement reached as Russia chases a lucrative Indian military helicopter tender. …

• Land Warfare

  Russian MoD set to buy more Verba MANPADS

  16th December 2014

  The Russian Ministry of Defence is set to buy more 9K333 Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPAD). A source at the Russian MoD told Shephard that …

• Digital Battlespace

  ADF orders Harris Falcon III wideband tactical radios

  16th December 2014

  Harris Corporation will deliver Falcon III tactical radios to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under an order from the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation as part …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin to continue building MK41 VLS

  16th December 2014

  LOCKHEED Martin will continue building MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) for the US Navy under a $235 million contract award announced on 15 December. …

• Military Logistics

  Germany issues A400M support contracts

  15th December 2014

  Airbus Defence and Space will support the A400M’s entry into service with the German Air Force under two in-service support contracts announced on 12 December. …

• Digital Battlespace

  RfT released for NZ soldier tactical simulation

  15th December 2014

  A Request for Tender has been released by the New Zealand Defence Force to procure a Tactical Engagement Simulation System (TESS) to train dismounted and …

• Digital Battlespace

  MUOS radio terminal support facility opens

  15th December 2014

  A new radio terminal development and certification facility has been opened by Lockheed Martin to support the US military in maximising utilisation of the Mobile …

• Land Warfare

  Aussie Land 400 initiated

  15th December 2014

  Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has kick-started the Australian Army’s massive Land 400 Phase 2 vehicle acquisition programme. In an announcement on the 10 December …

• Defence Helicopter

  Super Puma AS332 C1e delivered to Bolivia

  15th December 2014

  The second Airbus Helicopters’ Super Puma AS332 C1e helicopter ordered under a contract signed in 2013 has arrived in Bolivia, where it will now enter …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems to acquire Eclipse Electronic Systems

  12th December 2014

  BAE Systems has entered into an agreement with Esterline Corporation for the proposed acquisition of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Eclipse Electronic Systems. The company announced the …

• Land Warfare

  UK re-starts long-range jungle recce course

  12th December 2014

  The British Army has completed a four-week long pilot long range reconnaissance patrol course (LRRPC) in the jungles of Brunei after a hiatus of more …

• Digital Battlespace

  France orders additional Ground Master radars

  12th December 2014

  ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) will supply the French armed forces with new Ground Master radars in both fixed and mobile configuration under a contract from the French …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  K-MAX douses its first fire

  12th December 2014

  K-MAX has already proven itself providing logistics support in Afghanistan and now the UAS has demonstrated its potential for fire-fighting. Lockheed Martin, which builds K-MAX, …

• Military Logistics

  European F-35 MRO&U capability assigned

  12th December 2014

  F-35 aircraft and engine Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) capability for operators in the European region will be performed by Italy, the UK, Turkey, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell confident on future V-22 laser-guided weapon integration

  11th December 2014

  Recent forward-firing tests on the V-22 Osprey will allow greater integration of laser-guided missiles such as Hellfire, Bell Helicopter officials have told Shephard. The company …

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 ...