• Special Operations

  Venezuela to enhance SOF capabilities

  12th March 2018

  Venezuela’s special operations forces are set to receive a USD $20 million uplift in materiel and equipment, according to President Nicolas Maduro. Announcing the news …

• Special Operations

  Global SOF 2018: Has US developed 'over reliance' on SOF?

  20th February 2018

  The US and its partners across the Central Command region may have developed an over-reliance on special operations forces (SOF), sometimes at the expense of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heavy-lift of hope for German helicopter market

  23rd March 2018

  As political stability returns to Germany with Angela Merkel returning as chancellor for her fourth term, upcoming defence procurement decisions for the nation’s heavy-lift programme …

• Defence Helicopter

  No additional S-61T deliveries

  20th March 2018

  The Sikorsky S-61 modernisation programme, which included the upgrading of the S-61T, appears to have stopped with no further platforms being requested by the US …

• Defence Notes

  Putin pledges to reduce Russia military spending

  19th March 2018

  President Vladimir Putin has said on that Russia would cut its military spending, a day after he won a presidential election with a landslide.  'We …

• Military Logistics

  DIMDEX 2018: Services key for Boeing’s future aspirations

  13th March 2018

  Boeing will look to its services business to more than triple its income over the next five years, which could see the company look to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kratos approved to market Mako UAS

  15th March 2018

  Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has received US State Department approval to market its Mako tactical UAS to certain European and Asia Pacific countries, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Qatar orders NH90s

  15th March 2018

  The Qatar armed forces has ordered 28 NH90 military helicopters, Airbus Helicopters announced on 14 March. The contract calls for 16 NH90s in tactical transport …

• Special Operations

  Global SOF 2018: AFSOC revitalises 6th SOS

  21st February 2018

  The recently released US National Defense Strategy has added emphasis to ongoing Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) efforts to revitalise its 6th Special Operations …

• Digital Battlespace

  Qatar requests AOC upgrade

  13th March 2018

  The US State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale to Qatar for equipment and support to upgrade the Qatari Emiri Air Force’s Air …

• Training

  Simulation support success for Lockheed Martin team

  19th March 2018

  A Lockheed Martin-led team has been awarded a seven year, $3.53 billion contract to support the 300,000 fielded Training Aids, Devices, Simulators and Simulations (TADSS), including …

• Special Operations

  Global SOF 2018: SOF intelligence fusion presents physical challenges

  21st February 2018

  While the US and its allies have long acknowledged the digital challenges of gathering, integrating and sharing ISR data across multi-national organizations, that coordination also …

• Military Logistics

  RFA Lyme Bay returns to fleet

  13th March 2018

  The Royal Fleet Auxiliary's (RFA's) Lyme Bay has been accepted back into the fleet after completing a refit, re-store and sea trials, the navy announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Swiss UAS traffic management system planned

  14th March 2018

  Skyguide and AirMap have joined forces to develop and deploy a national UAS traffic management system in Switzerland. Skyguide is a Swiss air navigation service …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed’s MK 41 VLS for Type 26

  6th March 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a contract from BAE Systems to equip the Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship with the MK 41 Vertical Launching …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - micro

  Multidomian Micro Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Special Notice On 14 November 2024, a Special Notice was released that informed the industry that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was looking for ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SOF Vehicles (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian MoD is investing in the modernisation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces by procuring new equipment for all of its branches, including ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini

  Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) [US]

  Background SOF Week 2025 Speaking to Shephard at Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week 2025, Performance Drone Work's (PDW) CEO Ryan Gury, stated that the Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) was ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 (Special Forces) [France]

  Background In French service, advanced H225M Caracals with aerial refuelling capabilities are used by SOF units of the French Air Force (FAF) and French Army. ...

• Loitering munitions

  Drone Dominance Program (DDP): Gauntlet 3 [US]

  Background Overview As noted by the Department of War (DOW), the Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is an iterative $1 billion plan to purchase small, lethal drones ...

• Loitering munitions

  Drone Dominance Program (DDP): Gauntlet 4 [US]

  Background Overview As noted by the Department of War (DOW), the Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is an iterative $1 billion plan to purchase small, lethal drones ...

• Loitering munitions

  Drone Dominance Program (DDP): Gauntlet 2 [US]

  Background Overview As noted by the Department of War (DOW), the Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is an iterative $1 billion plan to purchase small, lethal drones ...

• Loitering munitions

  Drone Dominance Program (DDP): Gauntlet 2.5 [US]

  Background Overview As noted by the Department of War (DOW), the Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is an iterative $1 billion plan to purchase small, lethal drones ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) [NATO]

  Background Purchase While NATO doesn’t have its own forces and depends on its allies, the alliance does have some of its own assets and equipment. In ...

• Loitering munitions

  Drone Dominance Program (DDP): Gauntlet 1 [US]

  Background Overview As noted by the Department of War (DOW), the Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is an iterative $1 billion plan to purchase small, lethal drones ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• ISR/special mission

  Stand-off Jammer Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Background luWES programme The luWES programme is a broad initiative within the German Air Force to procure and implement an entire architecture for electromagnetic operations. ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Teal 2 (Customs and Border Protection Force) [US]

  Programme Background First Order Global News Wire reported that Red Cat had filled an order for 54 Teal 2 units from the US Customs and ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [Japan]

  Background Selection and contract award In 2015, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

• ISR/special mission

  Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (1-3) [Germany]

  Background Requirement history The Pegasus (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) project aims to fulfil a SIGINT capability which has been missing in the German Armed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini

  Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV)

  Unveiled in May 2025, the Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) is a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  VOS-APP

  The Arquus VOS-APP is a 6x6 support vehicle currently under trial with the French SOF. Acting as a replacement for the 1970s-vintage ACMAT VLRA, the VOS-APP is the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  ZH-753

  The Zodiac Hurricane 753 OB SAR is typically used as a shore-based boat operating independently in SAR, counterterrorism and law enforcement missions. The deep-V fibreglass ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 35 Harpoon

  The Ares 35 Harpoon has been designed for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, surveillance and patrolling missions.

• Swimmer delivery vehicles

  Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS)​

  The USN has contracted Teledyne Brown to develop the Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) as part of a wider effort to develop new underwater transports for ...

• Data links

  GSNC

  Global Secure Network Connection (GSNC) provides a global data communications solution for military aircraft, including bomber, refuelling and transport aircraft. The GSNC system uses Iridium ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 55 Harpoon

  The Ares 55 Harpoon is a fast interceptor craft by Ares Shipyard for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Red Dragon

  The Red Dragon is a loitering munition from AeroVironment. According to the company, it is designed for one-way attack missions in high-threat, GPS-denied and communications-degraded environments. Unveiled in ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 65 Harpoon

  The Ares 65 Harpoon is a fast interceptor craft by Ares Shipyard for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, surveillance and ...

• Submachine guns

  FN SCAR-SC

  FN Herstal unveiled the 5.56mm FN SCAR-SC (Subcompact Carbine), the newest member of the SCAR (SOF Combat Assault Rifle) family originally developed for the US ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Global Observer

  The AeroVironment Global Observer HALE UAV was a developmental HALE UAV designed for various civil, commercial and government applications.  Development of the platform began in 2007 ...

• Subsystems: software

  Global Teach

  Global Teach training management systems provide support for educational processes. Inovex’s military-adapted training management system oversees training processes from planning to controlling, independently from the ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  XRGL40

  The XRGL40 is an extended-range 40mm handheld multi-shot weapon able to engage at ranges up to 800m. Fitted with the GR40 multi-velocity programmable sight (see ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  GAT-5530 Global Aero Terminal

  The Viasat Global Aero Terminal 5530 is a second-generation hybrid Ka- and Ku-band SATCOM terminal that enables global broadband connectivity services for commercial and government ...

• Swimmer delivery vehicles

  Black Shadow

  The Black Shadow is a jet-powered diver propulsion device designed to covertly insert and extract SOF to and from target areas. The Black Shadow is ...