• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IAI adds ASW capability to the maritime Heron (sponsored)

  27th February 2020

  This article is brought to you by IAI. Addressing the increasing role of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in maritime operations, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2020: M777 is going great guns in India

  7th February 2020

  A total of 29 M777A2 towed howitzers have been delivered to India to date, with the weapons being delivered according to schedule. Interestingly, India might also have an option …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems awarded DARPA T-MUSIC contract

  31st January 2020

  BAE Systems will develop new generation mixed-signal electronics capabilities under a contract from DARPA announced on 28 January. The new capabilities could enable US Department …

• Land Warfare

  French armed forces receive new O-NYX night vision goggles

  1st February 2020

  France is increasing efforts to renew the small equipment of its armed forces, with the MoD reporting the delivery of the first batch of new O-NYX …

• Digital Battlespace

  American E-11A BACN aircraft crashes in Afghanistan

  28th January 2020

  The E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft is a rare platform in the USAF, and one of just four in service crashed near Ghazni …

• Digital Battlespace

  Pony Express 1 mission launched

  17th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has launched the Pony Express 1 mission as a hosted payload on Tyvak-0129, a next-generation Tyvak 6U spacecraft, the company announced on 16 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US AFRL's Ultra LEAP UAS in flight demo

  19th December 2019

  The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) has completed a two and a half-day continuous flight demonstration of the Ultra Long …

• Naval Warfare

  Sonardyne positioning systems for South Korea's ASR-II

  5th December 2019

  Sonardyne has announced that its underwater positioning and tracking technology will support search and recovery operations undertaken by the Republic of Korea Navy's (RoKN's) new …

• Digital Battlespace

  French Navy looks at step change in data sharing

  13th December 2019

  The French Navy is deepening its ability to share tactical situational awareness data via its Naval Cooperative Surveillance initiative.  The Veille Coopérative Navale (VCN/Naval Cooperative …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  FLIR introduces new UAS payload family

  21st November 2019

  FLIR Systems has developed a new family of payloads for the SkyRanger R70 and R80D SkyRaider UAS, the company announced on 19 November. Called the …

• Digital Battlespace

  UAE to order additional GlobalEye

  19th November 2019

  Saab has announced that the United Arab intends to conclude a contract amendment for the purchase of two additional GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo invests in Skydweller Aero

  12th November 2019

  Leonardo has announced its investment in Skydweller Aero, a US/Spanish company specialising in large-scale solar-powered UAS. The initiative will result in the development and deployment …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK MoD selects Wescam MX-15​ system

  5th November 2019

  L3Harris Technologies will supply 40 Wescam MX-15 electro-optical, infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems to the UK Ministry of Defence, the company announced on 5 November. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  German Air Force explores passive aggressive surveillance

  1st November 2019

  The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) is blazing a trail with its interest in passive radar, with the technology promising to enhance its ground-based air surveillance …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Multi-mission USV proposed as floating comms nexus for CEE region

  19th October 2019

  Boeing, acting through its subsidiary, Liquid Robotics, is offering its Wave Glider USV for countries in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region as a …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | ULTRA [US]

  The USAF, and more specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has invested in the ULTRA aircraft from DZYNE Technologies, with the drone possibly developed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | ULTRA [US]

  The USAF, and more specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has invested in the ULTRA aircraft from DZYNE Technologies, with the drone possibly developed ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Ultra (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background Military Aid Al Carns, Minister for the Armed Forces, stated in Parliament in November 2025 that £600 million had been invested by the UK ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ULTRA [US]

  Background Origins The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) conceived and developed the aircraft with DZYNE Technologies. According to The War ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System (L-MADIS) supports deployed Marine Expeditionary Units with non-kinetic C-UAS capabilities and a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon for ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

  Background Requirement history In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), ...

• Destroyers

  Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class (1-3) [Canada]

  Background Requirements Fifteen frigates are being procured to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 ageing Halifax-class frigates and the now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers with next-generation surface ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ISTAR UAS project [Canada]

  Programme Background Objective The Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) main significant UAV project is the RCN Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft System (RCN ...

• Trainer

  T-54A Multi-Engine Training System (METS) [USA]

  Programme Background Multi-Engine Training System is a USN programme to replace the ageing T-44C Pegasus fleet and modernize multi-engine aircraft training. Multi-Engine Training System provides ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) [India]

  Background Rationale Various global navies are beginning to explore the possibility of using UAVs to conduct shore-to-ship and ship-to-ship cargo resupply missions. The rationale behind this ...

• Maritime patrol

  Sea Sultan [Pakistan]

  Programme Background On 10 January 2020, Pakistan issued a tender for a single unconfigured long-range twin-jet MPA. In October 2020, Adm Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, the PN’s soon-to-retire ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  GHOST [US]

  Background Development Contract On 27 May 2025, the US Department of War awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) a $99.29 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the development ...

• Maritime patrol

  Sea Sultan [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Initial Tender On 10 January 2020, Pakistan issued a tender for a single unconfigured long-range twin-jet MPA. In October 2020, Adm Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, the ...

• Minehunters

  New Generation Minehunters/Offshore (NGM/A) (1-4) [Italy]

  Background Requirements In July 2019, the Italian Navy published an updated version of its 2019-2034 Strategic Planning, outlining the future composition of its fleets and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: sonar systems

  TMS 2000

  The TMS 2000 was developed by Thales. It is a sonobuoy processing system designed to be used by a helicopter or Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). 

• Sonobuoys

  ASELBUOY

  ASELBUOY is a NATO A-size passive directional sonobuoy deployed from aircraft and surface ships.  It can operate in 30 m and 150 m depths, providing ...

• Land: air defence radar

  ELM-2090U

  IAI-ELTA's ELM-2090U UHF Ultra is a land-based long-range early warning radar designed to autonomously detect and simultaneously track Ballistic Missiles (BMs), satellites and airborne targets ...

• Weapon sights for day use

  3-12x54 PM II Ultra Bright

  The 3-12x54 PM II Ultra Bright is the first scope within Schmidt & Bender's new PM II Ultra Bright line. With a transmission of 96%, ...

• Weapon sights for day use

  4-16x56 PM II Ultra Bright

  The 4-16x56 PM II Ultra Bright is the second scope within Schmidt & Bender's new PM II Ultra Bright line. With a transmission of 96%, ...

• Weapon-mounted lights

  X-Series WeaponLights

  X-Series WeaponLights feature an LED emitter focused by a Total Internal Reflection lens to produce a tight beam with extended reach and significant surround light ...

• Data links

  SOLO COFM HD & SD Video Downlinks

  DTC offers a number of downlink solutions to support a range of missions, delivering high-resolution video images. There are multiple installation options for fixed-wing, rotary ...

• Maritime patrol

  Falcon

  Following previous MPAs in Dassault's Falcon family, a variant based on the Falcon 900 was launched in 2005. The MPA has a 360° radar in ...

• Data links

  AN/USQ-167 CDLS

  The AN/USQ-167 Communications Data Link System (CDLS) is the first USN CDL system to support standard CDL interfaces to enable network-centric warfare. It is a ...

• EO/IR systems

  Ultra 8500

  The Ultra8500 was a gyro-stabilised EO/IR system for ISR, SAR, patrol and homeland security missions.  Manufactured by Teledyne FLIR, the out-of-production payload featured a thermal imager, ...

• EO/IR systems

  Light Eye

  Light Eye is a lightweight unmanned aerostat-mounted EO system designed for standoff, wide-coverage air observation. It is optimised for altitudes of up to 2,600ft with ...

• EO/IR systems

  Ultra 8000

  Unveiled in 2007, the Ultra 8000 is an out-of-production stabilised imaging system from Teledyne FLIR. The system was optimised for light and medium fixed- and ...

• Data links

  Ultra Tropo

  The Tactical Transportable TROPO (tropospheric scatter radio) (3T) provides long-haul, high-bandwidth, low-latency communications, giving users BLoS capability in a small, flyaway VSAT system. 3T is ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Ultra Orion

  The Ultra Orion is a family of point-to-point (PTP) and point-to-multipoint (PMP) radio system providing On The Move (OTM) access capabilities for lower echelons. It ...

• Laser pointers

  NCFL 9 Series

  The NCFL 9 series is comprised of compact, mountable illumination/aiming systems that can be used on a wide variety of weapons including handguns and assault ...