• Defence Notes

  ITEC 2014: New orders signal recovery for Saab T&S

  21st May 2014

  Whilst Saab Training and Simulation admitted that it had a hard time last year, so far in 2014 it has secured an intake of orders …

• Digital Battlespace

  ITEC 2014: Barco’s F50 projector to be ready this year

  21st May 2014

  Barco is displaying its new F50 ruggedised projector at the ITEC 2014 exhibition in Cologne in preparation for making it available to customers later this …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MALE UAV project enters critical phase

  21st May 2014

  Companies from France, Germany and Italy have delivered a proposal to the national armament director of each nation calling for requirements for a European MALE …

• Defence Helicopter

  ILA 2014: Sikorsky looks to Europe with the CH-53K

  21st May 2014

  Sikorsky is beginning to eye future European heavy lift developments, in particular in Germany, as it further develops the CH-53K King Stallion for the US …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SOFIC: McRaven sheds light on UAS strategy and Afghanistan future

  20th May 2014

  USSOCOM Commander Adm Bill McRaven has listed his aspirations for unmanned support of his organisation, while future commitment to Afghanistan continues to be considered, the …

• Land Warfare

  SOFIC: Team TALOS prepares for USSOCOM demo

  20th May 2014

  US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) chief Adm Bill McRaven will review the first working demonstration of the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) on 19 …

• Military Logistics

  ITEC 2014: CAE and R&A debut GlobalSim combined training system

  20th May 2014

  The GlobalSim training system, which integrates theatre level and tactical level simulation training, is being demonstrated for the first time at the ITEC 2014 exhibition …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Textron Systems receives new SUAS task order

  20th May 2014

  Textron Systems Unmanned Systems announced on 19 May that it had received a new task order under the US Navy Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Elbit Systems awarded AH-1W upgrade work

  19th May 2014

  Elbit Systems of America has been awarded two contracts, totalling $14.1 million, supporting the US Marine Corps' upgrade of their Bell AH-1W attack helicopter fleet. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia to continue Mi-17V-5 deliveries to Afghanistan

  19th May 2014

  Despite the Ukrainian crisis and the sanctions imposed by the US and EU on the Russian financial system, the country will continue deliveries of Mi-17V-5 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Pentagon ringfences space advancements

  19th May 2014

  The Pentagon’s commitment to satellite and space research – in the midst of an overall decrease in science and technology funding – shows the strategic …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rockwell Collins position for changing op environment

  17th May 2014

  Changing operational environments will force the adoption of new technology and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) as units seek to reduce reliance on satellite communications …

• Defence Helicopter

  NovAtel introduces new positioning receiver

  16th May 2014

  NovAtel has introduced a new compact, dual-antenna, dual-frequency, single-card receiver for rotary wing aircraft, marine applications, autonomous ground vehicle and other applications requiring precise position …

• Defence Helicopter

  AAR Airlift re-awarded USAFRICOM contract

  16th May 2014

  AAR’s Airlift division will provide dedicated fixed-wing lift services to US Africa Command (USAFRICOM) throughout four Central African countries, following the re-award of a contract …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2014: Atlas Elektronik sees prospects in UUV market

  15th May 2014

  Atlas Elektronik is positive about the outlook for the UUV market as it is promoting its unmanned vehicles family at AUVSI.  ‘All major navies around …

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 ...