• Defence Notes

  Northrop Grumman pushes SABR for USAF F-16

  17th April 2013

  Northrop Grumman continues its efforts to provide its Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the US Air Force’s F-16 aircraft, outlining the advanced mapping capabilities …

• Military Logistics

  Rockwell Collins to repair and support KC-135 aircraft

  17th April 2013

  Rockwell Collins has been awarded contracts by the US Air Force and US Air Force Air National Guard to provide service and support for the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Nemesis missile racks up successful flight tests

  16th April 2013

  Lockheed Martin has announced that the Nemesis missile has demonstrated three successful flight tests at White Sands Missile Range to show its launch, guided flight, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Spain deploys Tiger attack helicopters to Afghanistan

  16th April 2013

  Despite ISAF operations winding down, Spain has sent three Eurocopter Tiger HAP attack helicopters to Afghanistan in an effort to bolster its helicopter forces which …

• Defence Helicopter

  New RAF Mk6 Chinook completes first flight

  15th April 2013

  Boeing has revealed that the first flight of the newest CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter for the Royal Air Force (RAF) took place on 15 March …

• Naval Warfare

  C295 MPA successfully releases Marte missile

  15th April 2013

  The Airbus Military C295 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) has successfully demonstrated the release of an instrumented MBDA Marte MK2/S anti-ship inert missile as part of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2013: US Army reflects on OEF aircraft challenges

  13th April 2013

  A senior US Army officer has shone light on some of the operational errors that led to 165 aircraft being lost in Afghanistan and Iraq …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2013: Sikorsky stands by its AAS aircraft

  13th April 2013

  Sikorsky has defended its offering for the US Army’s Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) programme, saying that it will be ready in time for the requirement …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2013: US AH-64E due to enter FRP as next round of negotiations begin

  13th April 2013

  The PM for Apache in the US Army has stated that 43 of the new AH-64E helicopters are in LRIP with FRP beginning in FY14 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2013: US Army gives financial perspective on future helicopter programmes

  12th April 2013

  The head of the US Army’s PEO Aviation has offered insight into the force’s upcoming helicopter development programmes in light of pressure to reduce procurement …

• Defence Helicopter

  LAAD 2013: First upgraded Panther nears certification

  12th April 2013

  The first upgraded Panther K2 helicopter is expected to pass certification this month, ready to be delivered to the Brazilian Army in mid-May for operational …

• Digital Battlespace

  LAAD 2013: Selex expands lightweight ISR offerings

  12th April 2013

  Selex ES has unveiled the newest addition to its aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) offerings with the introduction of the Light ISR system. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  LAAD 2013: Earth moves into AGV market

  12th April 2013

  With an eye on border surveillance and security requirements across South America, one company from the UAE brought its Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) to the …

• Military Logistics

  General Dynamics awarded Abrams spares contract

  12th April 2013

  General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a contract by the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to provide spare parts in support of the Abrams …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2013: AgustaWestland enters AAS fray

  12th April 2013

  AgustaWestland has launched its offering for the US Army’s Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) programme, the AW169 AAS. Displayed for the first time during the AAAA …

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 ...