• Defence Notes

  Taiwan, an island nation under siege

  20th March 2020

  Few countries are more bullied or ostracised than Taiwan. Whether it is militarily, diplomatically or internationally, China has successfully forced Taiwan into the far-flung outer …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell not conceding defeat on Israeli V-22 deal

  28th February 2020

  Manufacturer Bell-Boeing will continue to push for an export order of the V-22 Osprey from Israel despite political uncertainty and funding shortages casting major doubts over …

• Defence Notes

  US focus stays on Chinese, Russian strategic threats

  28th February 2020

  China is still the main concern for the US DoD when assessing global threats, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reminded senators in testimony on 26 February. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ​Northrop Grumman not pausing for thought on MQ-4C

  13th February 2020

  The US DoD's decision to pause production of the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV is not one that concerns the platform’s manufacturer. A two-year …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia mulls one replacement Growler

  26th February 2020

  The Australian government is still seeking compensation for the loss of one EA-18G Growler EW aircraft after a 2018 accident. Meanwhile, the Department of Defence is …

• Naval Warfare

  Future USNS Cherokee Nation takes shape

  18th February 2020

  Construction of the US Navy’s future USNS Cherokee Nation has commenced with a keel laying ceremony near Gulf Island Shipyard. Cherokee Nation (T-ATS 7) will …

• Defence Notes

  DoD plays it safe on air power spending

  12th February 2020

  The proposed US DoD FY2021 defence budget runs at a shortfall of $800 million for aircraft and associated systems compared to last year’s figures. In total, …

• Naval Warfare

  State of the navy: US surface fleet programmes

  31st January 2020

  With its share of the US DoD’s budget reduced from the Cold War, the USN is having to manage a range of surface fleet shipbuilding …

• Defence Helicopter

  Four H160s for French Navy

  10th February 2020

  The French Navy is to operate the H160 helicopter for search and rescue missions, Airbus Helicopters announced on 10 February. The helicopters will be delivered …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MCA investigating UAS to support SAR missions

  7th February 2020

  A new project has been announced by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) to boost search and rescue (SAR) capabilities. The project will investigate …

• Naval Warfare

  Murky waters for future European Med maritime mission

  28th February 2020

  With just over a month remaining on the mandate of Operation Sophia, the European maritime security and humanitarian assistance mission to the Mediterranean, doubts persist …

• Naval Warfare

  MoD fiscal black hole continues to threaten equipment plans

  27th February 2020

  With the ink still drying on the UK MoD’s newly released Defence Equipment Plan, the National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) stinging analysis of the MoD’s financial …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow 2020: Schiebel explores ASW innovations

  11th February 2020

  Austrian company Schiebel is exploring anti-submarine warfare (ASW) roles among potential new applications for its Camcopter S-100 UAV platform. Neil Hunter, director of business development …

• Naval Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2020: India moves on arming nuclear submarine

  5th February 2020

  The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired India’s first submarine-launched ballistic missile, the K4 SLBM, from underwater on 19 January. Measuring 10m long …

• Defence Notes

  US military leaders outline future modernisation of ICBM and deterrence strategy

  14th February 2020

  Adm Charles A Richard, head of US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) outlined future plans for the modernisation of US ICBM, submarines and strategic bombers during a 13 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  Programme Background At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class (T-ATS) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) are replacing the ageing three remaining T-ATF 166 class tugboats and two remaining T-ARS 50 class ships with ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Submarine Resue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Submarine Resue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Submarine Rescue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Submarine Rescue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D [USA]

  Programme Background The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defence ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Submarine Rescue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  Programme Background Timeline For a long time, Poland has been trying to procure submarine rescue vessels. A contract for the acquisition of up to two ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class

  The Navajo-class is the USN's new class of towing, salvage, and rescue ships to replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships. This ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Kronos

  At NAVDEX 2023, Highland Systems unveiled the Kronos submarine for the first time. According to the manufacturer, the submarine is suitable for commercial, rescue and military ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Poseidón - Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS)

  The Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS), Poseidon (A-21), is a submarine rescue vessel being built by Navatia. The ship will enter service ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS)

  The Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS) is a Submarine Rescue Ship set to join the Italian Navy by 2025. In June 2021, the Italian ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing

  Manufactured by AeroVironment and based on the Switchblade loitering munition, the Blackwing is a tube-launched UAV designed to deliver rapid ISR capabilities through its EO/IR ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  Los Angeles Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) have been the mainstay of the US sub-surface fleet since the 1970s. Known as the ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Explorer Class (T-AGOS)

  The T-AGOS or Explorer-class vessels are ocean surveillance vessels being built for the US Navy (USN) by Austal USA. They are designed to support the ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  Belgorod (Project 09852)

  Belgorod (Project 09852) is a special-purpose nuclear-powered submarine designed to launch the new Poseidon nuclear-armed UUV. Belgorod was originally meant to be an Oscar-II-class multi-purpose submarine, but ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  OMS 200

  Airbus DS Optronics unveiled the OMS 200 at the September 2013 DSEI exhibition. It combines the capabilities of the OMS 110 with intelligent target acquisition ...

• Patrol boats

  Tapper Class

  Tapper (Type 80) patrol boats were ordered in the 1990s, the first seven in 1992 and five more in 1995, and were designed as small, ...

• Ship-launched torpedoes, Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk-48 Mod 6AT ADCAP

  The Mk-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) is the improved version of the Mk-48 family. Development started with the Mk-48 Mod 5 and continues to the present ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...

• Air: helicopter radar

  ORB 32 series

  The ORB 32 is a modular family of maritime surveillance and fire control radars intended for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, exclusive economic zone protection and search and rescue ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6B Mercury

  The E-6B Mercury is an airborne command post and communications relay for US nuclear forces, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The USN operates a fleet of ...