• Digital Battlespace

  USAF furthers directed energy bio-effects research

  5th September 2013

  The United States Air Force (USAF) has awarded General Dynamics a research contract for the Directed Energy Bio-effects Research (DEBR) programme, it was announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  DRS Technologies receives MFoCS contract from US Army

  4th September 2013

  DRS Technologies has received a three-year contract to supply a modular family of computers and display systems to the US Army. The Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity …

• Military Logistics

  Arotech receives follow-on US Army SWIPES order

  4th September 2013

  The US Army has placed a follow-on order with the battery and power systems division of Arotech for Soldier Wearable Integrated Power Equipment Systems (SWIPES). …

• Defence Helicopter

  French Army Pumas to be fitted with SN4500 display

  4th September 2013

  Sandel Avionics will supply its SN4500 Primary Navigation Display for the French Army’s Puma helicopters under an agreement announced on 4 September. The installation work …

• Defence Helicopter

  Eurocopter pushes EC725 Caracal helicopter for Poland

  3rd September 2013

  Eurocopter is using the MSPO exhibition in Kielce to advance efforts to offer its EC725 Caracal helicopter as a solution for the Polish Ministry of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Euro Hawk sets European flight endurance record

  3rd September 2013

  Northrop Grumman’s Euro Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has flown continuously for 25.3 hours in European airspace, setting a new endurance record on 8 August. …

• Military Logistics

  Desert Rats to oversee UK drawdown

  3rd September 2013

  The British Army’s 7th Armoured Brigade – also known as the Desert Rats – will deploy to Afghanistan to accelerate the UK military drawdown effort …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australian Army accepts MRH90 FFMS into service

  2nd September 2013

  The Australian Army has accepted an MRH90 full-flight and mission simulator (FFMS) into service at the Army Aviation Training Centre Oakey in Queensland. This is …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rolls-Royce sells RTM322 interest to Turbomeca

  2nd September 2013

  Rolls-Royce has announced that it has completed the sale of its interest in the RTM322 helicopter engine programme to Turbomeca. Rolls-Royce had a 50 per …

• Land Warfare

  New anti-ship missile for Japan’s Self Defence Force

  2nd September 2013

  A new land-based anti-ship missile – known as the Type 12 surface-to-ship missile (12SSM) – has been unveiled by the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF). …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF long-range radar programme moves to next phase

  30th August 2013

  Following the completion of the evaluation and prototype demonstration phase for its new long-range radar programme, the US Air Force (USAF) is preparing for the …

• Defence Helicopter

  FLIR Systems awarded BRITE Star contract

  30th August 2013

  FLIR Systems will supply BRITE Star Block II Systems for the Naval Air Systems Command’s UH-1 programme and the Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programme …

• Digital Battlespace

  US DoD announces shared IT architecture plans

  30th August 2013

  The US Air Force, Army and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) have agreed new architecture-sharing and modernisation changes that will increase bandwidth and network security, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Global decline of military aircraft market forecast

  30th August 2013

  The production of military aircraft will decline over the next decade due to shrinking defence budgets, according to projections by Forecast International. Around 11,940 military …

• Defence Helicopter

  MAKS 2013: Ekran's DIRCM available for export

  30th August 2013

  The President-S laser directed IR counter measure system for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft was displayed for the first time at the MAKS airshow near Moscow. …

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 ...