• Digital Battlespace

  Selex Elsag to provide wide band datalink system for NATO AGS

  17th July 2012

  Selex Elsag will provide its Wide Band Data Link Line-of-Sight (WBDLLOS) subsystem for the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme. Elsag is subcontracted under Selex …

• Defence Helicopter

  Qatar gets ready for helicopter air-to-air combat

  17th July 2012

  Qatar may be looking to equip its next generation attack helicopter fleet with an air-to-air capability, it has emerged. In an unusual move – followed …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus Military receives civil certification for the C295

  17th July 2012

  Airbus Military has obtained civil certification for its C295 transport aircraft. The company says the responds to the 'evolving requirements' of agencies and operators conducting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Qinetiq and MoD to develop UAV deployment centre

  17th July 2012

  Qinetiq and the UK MoD are working to establish the Unmanned Air Systems Capability Development Centre (UASCDC) to support the rapid development of UAS programmes …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK launches aircraft protection study

  17th July 2012

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Thales have signed a new research contract for technology that will improve the resilience of future UK aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  Astrium AirPatrol SATCOM terminal now flight proven

  17th July 2012

  Astrium Services’ latest generation of SATCOM terminal, the AirPatrol, has completed flight tests and is now flight proven. It commenced flight trials with the Canadian …

• Military Logistics

  TopOwl chosen for A400M

  16th July 2012

  Thales has revealed that its TopOwl HMSD (helmet-mounted sight and display) has been selected by the Organisation for Joint Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR) for flight testing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rheinmetall Airborne Systems receives German UAV contract extension

  16th July 2012

  Rheinmetall Airborne Systems, a joint venture between Cassidian and Rheinmetall, will continue to support the German Armed Forces in Afghanistan by providing unmanned airborne reconnaissance …

• Defence Helicopter

  Qatar requests Block III Apaches

  16th July 2012

  Qatar is considering the purchase of 24 AH-64D Apache Block III Longbow attack helicopters, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) revealed on 12 July. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  CMD3D enters French service

  16th July 2012

  ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) has announced that its CMD3D (air defense management centre in 3D) system has entered service with the French forces. The system provides France …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cassidian acquires Carl Zeiss optronics shares

  16th July 2012

  Cassidian and Carl Zeiss AG have signed an agreement to run the optronics element of the latter jointly. The contract was signed on 13 July, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Finmeccanica completes proof of concept testing for NCIRC FOC

  16th July 2012

  The Finmeccanica Cyber Solutions team has completed the testing phase of the NATO Computer Incident Response Capability (NCIRC) - Full Operating Capability (FOC) requirement’s proof …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cassidian to supply IFF systems to French forces

  16th July 2012

  Cassidian will supply the French Armed Forces with advanced identification systems used to prevent friendly fire, the company announced on 16 July. The French defence …

• Defence Helicopter

  ALEA 2012: AgustaWestland promotes AW139 as a national security helicopter

  14th July 2012

  AgustaWestland is pushing its military variant of the AW139 to meet the envisaged future needs of the US Department of Homeland Security and its various …

• Digital Battlespace

  ALEA 2012: Air Claw to provide persistent surveillance

  14th July 2012

  Northrop Grumman is completing the integration of a persistent surveillance sensor onto a light turboprop aircraft. The system, christened Air Claw, uses the Hawkeye I …

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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...