• Defence Helicopter

  India clears purchase of Apaches, Chinooks

  29th August 2014

  India has cleared the offsets proposal for 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy helicopters for the Indian Air Force.  The Defence …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zephyr 7 HAPS flies for 11 days non-stop

  29th August 2014

  The Zephyr 7 High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) has reached a number of new programme milestones, completing an 11 day non-stop flight in winter weather conditions …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman CIRCM completes US Army testing

  29th August 2014

  Northrop Grumman has announced that its Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system has successfully completed the entire government-designed test plan, following a final round of US …

• Military Logistics

  A400M airlifter refuels F/A-18 Hornet in flight

  28th August 2014

  Airbus Defence and Space has reported that the A400M airlifter has performed successful air-to-air refuelling (AAR) tests with an F/A-18 Hornet jet. The test campaign …

• Military Logistics

  KC-390 V2500-E5 engine achieves FAA certification

  28th August 2014

  The V2500-E5 engine for the Embraer KC-390 aircraft has achieved Federal Aviation Administration certification, IAE International Aero Engines announced on 27 August. The V2500-E5 engine …

• Defence Helicopter

  DARPA advances Boeing’s Phantom Swift

  28th August 2014

  Boeing’s ‘Phantom Swift’ prototype for DARPA’s VTOL Experimental Aircraft (X-Plane) programme has advanced to the next stage of development.  Valued at $130 million, the VTOL X-Plane …

• Defence Notes

  German Army structural reforms forge ahead

  28th August 2014

  The German Army is pushing drastic reforms that will see a downsized force continue to retain a warfighting capability whilst focusing on low-medium intensity operations. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australian Defence Force to upgrade GPS capabilities

  27th August 2014

  The Australian government has approved a project to upgrade and enhance the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities. Minister for Defence David …

• Military Logistics

  B767-300ER flies with IAI's fly-by-wire boom

  27th August 2014

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has successfully flight tested a B767-300ER aircraft equipped with a fly-by-wire (FBW) boom system, it announced on 26 August. The successful …

• Naval Warfare

  Australian P-8A acquisition gets underway

  27th August 2014

  The US Navy has placed an advanced acquisition contract with Boeing for four P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, as part of a foreign military sale …

• Military Logistics

  B767-300ER flies with IAI fly-by-wire boom

  26th August 2014

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has successfully flight tested a B767-300ER aircraft equipped with a fly-by-wire (FBW) boom system, it announced on 26 August. The successful …

• Defence Helicopter

  Honeywell HUMS for Singapore Chinooks

  26th August 2014

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has chosen Honeywell to supply health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) for its Boeing Chinook CH-47SD helicopters. Honeywell …

• Land Warfare

  India lifts Denel blacklisting

  26th August 2014

  India’s MoD lifted a nine-year ban on South African defence company Denel on 12 August, according to an Indian official. The company was put on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman awarded French AN/ALQ-217 FMS work

  26th August 2014

  The French military’s E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning Aircraft will be fitted with AN/ALQ-217 electronic support measures units to improve situational awareness capabilities and enhance …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ka-62 maiden flight planned for December

  21st August 2014

  The first Kamov Ka-62 prototype will not now take to the air until December this year, it has been revealed.  The delay in the KA-62’s …

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 ...