• Naval Warfare

  Asia outstrips Europe in defence spending

  7th March 2012

  Defence spending in Asia is expected to overtake that in Europe at some point this year, according to London-headquartered International Institute for Strategic Studies. John …

• Naval Warfare

  First USN P-8A Poseidon delivered

  6th March 2012

  Boeing has announced that the first production P-8A Poseidon aircraft has been delivered to the US Navy in Seattle. The P-8A is the first of …

• Defence Helicopter

  FB Heliservices wins UK MOD contract

  6th March 2012

  Cobham has announced that FB Heliservices has announced it has been awarded a four year contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to continue …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics to continue USAF cyber defence work

  6th March 2012

  General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has announced that it has been awarded a contract to continue its cyber network defence, operations and exploitation support of …

• Defence Helicopter

  German Aerospace Centre testing poor visibility landing system

  6th March 2012

  The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) is testing a helmet-mounted display system to assist pilots with poor visibility landings. The display, currently in test on a …

• Digital Battlespace

  ACUS advises 'back-to-basics' Cyber strategy

  6th March 2012

  The Atlantic Council of the US (ACUS) and industry partner IBM have outlined opinions on the current cyber security threat, warning that NATO is best …

• Digital Battlespace

  ISR IDIQ contracts awarded

  5th March 2012

  The US Navy has issued multiple award contracts (MAC) on 29 February 2012 as part of programmes to provide warfighters with improved battlefield awareness. According …

• Defence Helicopter

  200th UH-72A delivered to US Army

  2nd March 2012

  EADS North America has announced that the 200th UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) has been delivered to the US Army during a ceremony at …

• Defence Helicopter

  Helidax reaches 30,000 flight hour mark

  1st March 2012

  Helidax, a subsidiary of DCI and INAER, has announced in a 28 February 2012 statement that it has exceeded 30,000 flight hours on EC120 Colibri …

• Military Logistics

  Kazakhstan orders two C295 aircraft

  1st March 2012

  Airbus Military has announced that it has signed a firm contract with Kazspetsexport, a State Company belonging to the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan, to …

• Defence Helicopter

  CH-53Es join Marine Corps squadron in Hawaii

  29th February 2012

  The first Marine Corps CH-53Es Super Stallions have arrived in Hawaii, it has been announced. Seven CH-53Es arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Eurofighter experience to aid in sense and avoid capabilities for UAVs

  29th February 2012

  Cassidian is using its experience in the Eurofighter programme to continue its development of sense and avoid capabilities for UAVs. Speaking at a company technology …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon's MMPU terminal receives production award

  29th February 2012

  Raytheon has announced that the Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network Program Upgrade (MMPU) Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) terminal being developed for the US …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman awarded LN-251 navigation system contract

  28th February 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it will be carrying out work to modify existing software for the LN-251 embedded GPS/fibre-optic inertial navigation system (INS) on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAMS radar flight testing underway

  28th February 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that flight testing of the first developmental multifunction active sensor (MFAS) radar destined for the US Navy's MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime …

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 ...