• Digital Battlespace

  New upgraded version of SPEED software released

  19th August 2013

  A new version of the Systems Planning, Engineering and Evaluation Device (SPEED) software developed by Northrop Grumman for the US Marine Corps has been released …

• Defence Helicopter

  General Dynamics receives Hydra 70 rocket order

  19th August 2013

  General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products will produce Hydra 70 air-to-ground rockets for the US Army under a $67.5 million contract announced on 16 August. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: Tethered VTOL targets first responders

  16th August 2013

  UAV Solutions launched a tethered version of its Allerion 25 VTOL UAV at the AUVSI Unmanned Systems exhibition in Washington, DC. The concept placed the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: Puma AE completes maiden solar flight

  16th August 2013

  AeroVironment’s Puma AE has completed a nine hour flight using solar power, tripling the UAV’s existing endurance, company officials have stated. Solar panels, manufactured by …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: USN reveals UCLASS development path

  16th August 2013

  The programme manager for the US Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) programme has announced that a draft RfP will be launched …

• Digital Battlespace

  First two EMD EMARSS aircraft arrive for testing

  16th August 2013

  The Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) aircraft being built by Boeing under an Engineering, Manufacturing and Development contract with the US Army …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: US test sites to go operational this year

  16th August 2013

  The Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Transportation has confirmed that six UAV test sites for flight testing will be established by the end …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: DHS prepares to adopt DFSS technology

  16th August 2013

  BAE Systems will test its Digital Fused Sensor System (DFSS) on-board an Air Robot quadrotor for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in September, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: Battle for LMAMS contract heats up

  15th August 2013

  Companies preparing their bids for the US Army’s upcoming Lethal Miniature Aerial Munitions System (LMAMS) programme, used the AUVSI Unmanned Systems exhibition this week to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  TADTE 2013: CSIST unveils rotary-wing designs

  15th August 2013

  The state-owned Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) has unveiled two UAV designs for the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces at the Taipei …

• Defence Helicopter

  SAS to support Brazilian UH-60 repair services

  15th August 2013

  Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) will support the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fleet of the Brazilian Air Force under a direct commercial repair agreement announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin, AM General deliver JLTV development vehicles

  15th August 2013

  Lockheed Martin and AM General have each completed delivery of 22 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) ordered for the US Army and Marine Corps under …

• Military Logistics

  Marshall to support Indonesian C-130H transfer

  15th August 2013

  Marshall Aerospace Australia will provide engineering support services to the programme that will see the Indonesian Ministry of Defence take ownership of four of the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: UAV Factory unveils the Penguin C

  15th August 2013

  UAV Factory has used the AUVSI Unmanned Systems exhibition to launch the latest platform in its family of long endurance UAVs, the Penguin C. According …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: MQ-8 tidies up APKWS integration

  15th August 2013

  The US Navy’s MQ-8 Fire Scout is on the verge of concluding a weapons test programme with BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), …

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 ...