• Defence Helicopter

  Dutch Lynx captured in Libya to be returned

  28th February 2012

  A Dutch Lynx helicopter seized by pro-Gadaffi forces in Libya after a failed evacuation attempt in February last year is being returned to the Netherlands. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sagem wins French Army drone contract

  27th February 2012

  Sagem has announced that it has signed a contract with SIMMAD on behalf of the French Ministry of Defence (MOD), to provide in-service maintenance for …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Resource Group announces new UAS training initiative

  27th February 2012

  Resource Group has announced that it will be launching a new training division called ‘Resource UAS’ to deliver foundation training for UAS (unmanned aerial systems) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Indian Air Force inducts Mi-17V5s

  27th February 2012

  The Indian Air Force has inducted the Mi-17V5 into service after the first aircraft went into operational service on 17 February. The air force has …

• Land Warfare

  Cubic to continue Lithuanian force modernisation

  27th February 2012

  Cubic has announced that it has been awarded a new five-year contract to continue its support of force modernisation in Lithuania. The company made the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin's MUOS successfully launched

  27th February 2012

  Lockheed Martin’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2012: REF explores new high mobility small UGV designs

  24th February 2012

  The US Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) has added two new small UGVs to the range of small unmanned ground systems it is exploring for …

• Digital Battlespace

  BACN demonstrated during US Army NIE

  24th February 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) has been demonstrated during the US Army's Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 12.1 at White …

• Defence Helicopter

  APKWS heading for Afghanistan

  24th February 2012

  The US Navy has completed operational testing of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and the weapon will soon be deployed with US Marine …

• Defence Helicopter

  Wildcat completes shipboard trials

  24th February 2012

  The UK’s AgustaWestland Wildcat has completed shipboard trials on the HMS Iron Duke. One of the development aircraft, ZZ402, was subjected to 20 days of …

• Military Logistics

  Japan requests KC-130R support

  24th February 2012

  The Japanese government has made a request for the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of $170 million worth of support for its KC-130R aircraft. The Defense …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Marine Corps retires CH-53D

  24th February 2012

  The US Marine Corps has retired the CH-53D Sea Stallion after 40 years of service in a 'sunset ceremony' held on 10 February at Pearl …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2012: Boeing outlines CH-47F second multiyear enhancements

  24th February 2012

  Boeing executives used AUSA Winter 2012 to provide an update on current production numbers for the CH-47F as well as recent activities surrounding the pending …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2012: US Army fields Minotaur robotic mine clearance system

  24th February 2012

  The US Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) used AUSA Winter 2012 to spotlight its exploration of several unmanned vehicle designs. One of the systems highlighted …

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2012: US Army mulls force structure changes

  24th February 2012

  The US Army is studying potential changes to the structure and composition of its brigade combat teams (BCTs). Although still pre-decisional, a glimpse at some …

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 ...