• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AAI, KOR Electronics announce strategic alliance

  12th April 2012

  AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with KOR Electronics Defense Solutions that will combine AAI’s expertise …

• Military Logistics

  Hercules fuel efficiency studies show promise

  12th April 2012

  Wind tunnel experiments to boost the fuel efficiency of the C-130 Hercules have shown that a system of microvanes show the most promise. Lockheed Martin …

• Digital Battlespace

  Layered ISTAR 'critical' to evolving operations

  11th April 2012

  The UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and Raytheon UK have described the use of layered ISTAR assets as ‘critical’ to current operations. According to RAF …

• Defence Helicopter

  Egyptian Air Force receives AW139

  11th April 2012

  AgustaWestland has announced that it has delivered AW139 aircraft to the Egyptian Air Force under a Foreign Military Sales contract with the US Army Aviation …

• Digital Battlespace

  New CN235s for US Coast Guard

  11th April 2012

  Airbus Military has announced that the US Coast Guard has exercised a $78.5 million contract option to purchase two additional HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USN grounds Fire Scout

  11th April 2012

  The US Navy has grounded its MQ-8B Fire Scout fleet following two recent incidents, it has been announced. According to the Naval Air Systems Command …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indian Navy launches third UAV squadron

  11th April 2012

  The Indian Navy has announced that it is due to commission a third UAV squadron on 11 April. In an effort to increase its surveillance …

• Military Logistics

  A400M propeller system gains certification

  10th April 2012

  Hamilton Sundstrand has announced that the FH385/386 propeller system produced by its subsidiary Ratier-Figeac has been certified for the A400M military transport aircraft. The European …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thales wins French Navy Lynx helicopter contract

  10th April 2012

  Thales has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Service Industriel de l'Aéronautique (SIAé), France's military aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul service, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DoD still awaiting benefits of LTA investment

  10th April 2012

  The US DoD is not benefiting enough from multi-million dollar investment in lighter-than-air (LTA) technology, the CEO of Bye Aerospace has warned. According to George …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin awarded US Navy MH-60R/S contract

  10th April 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that the US Navy has awarded it a five-year contract to provide more than 200 digital cockpits and integrated mission systems …

• Military Logistics

  RAF A330 MRTT makes maiden flight

  10th April 2012

  Airbus Military has announced that the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has completed its first flight in RAF service on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ScanEagle completes hydrogen-powered fuel cell flight

  10th April 2012

  Insitu has announced that the ScanEagle UAV has successfully completed its first hydrogen-powered fuel cell flight. The two-and-a-half-hour flight test marks an important step in …

• Defence Helicopter

  PTDI purchases six EC725 for air force

  5th April 2012

  Eurocopter has announced that PT Dirgantara Indonesian (PTDI) Aerospace has purchased six EC725 aircraft for combat SAR missions. A statement from Eurocopter on 5 April …

• Land Warfare

  Iveco completes UK Trakker delivery

  5th April 2012

  Iveco Defence Vehicles has completed the delivery of its largest ever order in the UK of Trakker vehicles in support of the Royal Engineers on …

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 ...