• Military Logistics

  Airbus Military completes UAE A330 MRTT deliveries

  5th August 2013

  The third of three A330 multi-role tanker transports (MRTT) has been delivered to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Airbus Military. The delivery finalises the …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy orders 13 P-8A Poseidon aircraft

  2nd August 2013

  Boeing will supply 13 additional P-8A Poseidon aircraft to the US Navy under a recently signed $1.98 billion contract announced on 1 August. The order …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army completes second 'Enterprise Challenge'

  2nd August 2013

  The US Army has completed the second iteration of Exercise ‘Enterprise Challenge’ with the demonstration of its Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A) capability. Held at …

• Military Logistics

  First A400M aircraft delivered to France

  2nd August 2013

  The French Air Force has formally taken delivery of the first A400M airlifter to be delivered under the Airbus Military programme. The aircraft, MSN7, will …

• Military Logistics

  Indonesia to get nine ex-RAAF C-130s

  2nd August 2013

  Indonesia has agreed to purchase five C-130H Hercules tactical transport aircraft from Australia in addition to the four aircraft due to be transferred by the …

• Defence Helicopter

  First NH90 NFH helicopter for Belgium Navy delivered

  1st August 2013

  The first NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) for Belgium has been delivered to the Belgium armed forces, bringing advanced, highly capable and fully-qualified rotary-wing aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  Cobham wins Apache NIU upgrade work

  1st August 2013

  Cobham will overhaul and upgrade Nitrogen Inerting Units (NIUs) for the AH-64 Apache helicopter under a new contract announced on 31 July. The $7.1 million …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman SABR selected for F-16 AESA upgrade

  1st August 2013

  Northrop Grumman will supply its Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the US Air Force and Taiwan F-16 radar modernisation and upgrade programme, following the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky may win presidential helicopter by default

  1st August 2013

  All but one of the three major industry teams expected to compete for the US VXX Helicopter Replacement Program have dropped out, blaming anti-competitive requirements. AgustaWestland …

• Military Logistics

  A400M receives IOC clearance from OCCAR

  31st July 2013

  Airbus Military has announced that the A400M airlifter has received its type acceptance at the contractual Initial Operating Clearance (IOC) Standard from the Organisation for …

• Defence Helicopter

  Scepticism greets EADS rebranding

  31st July 2013

  In its biggest shake-up since the failed merger with BAE Systems last year, EADS has revealed plans to bring all its divisions under the Airbus …

• Defence Helicopter

  HAD/E Tiger helicopter programme marks milestone

  31st July 2013

  The first HAD/E variant of the Tiger combat helicopter assembled at Eurocopter's Spanish facilities in Albacete, Spain, completed its maiden flight on 29 June. This …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Orbital announces UAV engine contract

  31st July 2013

  Orbital will develop a next-generation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engine for an unnamed customer in the US under a new contract announced on 31 July. …

• Land Warfare

  USMC wants MRAP survivability upgrade

  30th July 2013

  The USMC has released a pre-solicitation calling for MRAP Cougar vehicle egress upgrade kits for the family of vehicles. Information provided on the Federal Business …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing Defence Australia to support RAAF Wedgetail

  30th July 2013

  Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has assumed responsibility for the sustainment of the Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) fleet …

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 ...