• Defence Helicopter

  Global ambitions for H135 military trainer

  12th February 2018

  Airbus Helicopters is marketing the H135 light twin-engine helicopter as a training platform to the US, Spanish and Mexican armed forces, the company has told …

• Naval Warfare

  Analysis: As maritime piracy declines globally, problems persist

  2nd February 2018

  The International Maritime Bureau says that piracy has fallen to a 22-year global low in its latest annual report on maritime security.  A total of …

• Special Operations

  Iraqi SOF adjust for future operations

  29th January 2018

  Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) will consider the future training and materiel requirements of the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) following the eradication of the self-proclaimed …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow: Turkey closes in on T129 sale

  8th February 2018

  Pakistan is planning to buy 30 T129 Atak attack helicopters built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), said Tamer Ozmen, vice president for corporate marketing and communications, …

• Defence Notes

  OPCW probing reports of Syria chemical attacks

  7th February 2018

  The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on 7 February it is probing ‘all credible allegations’ of the use of chemical weapons …

• Military Logistics

  Canada’s Asterix ship achieves FOC

  2nd February 2018

  The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Asterix support ship has achieved full operational capability (FOC) following the completion of testing, Davie Shipbuilding and Federal Fleet Services …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show: New enhanced clip-on sight for SOF applications

  26th January 2018

  On display for the first time at SHOT Show, the F7030 Generation 3 Clip-on Weapon Sight is being aimed towards the special operations market. The new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rolls-Royce opens autonomous shipping research centre

  31st January 2018

  Rolls-Royce has opened a research facility in Turku, Finland, to develop the technologies needed to shape the future autonomous global shipping industry. The centre includes …

• Digital Battlespace

  Astro Aerospace completes NISAR CDR

  31st January 2018

  Astro Aerospace has completed the critical design review of the AstroMesh radar antenna reflector for the NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) synthetic aperture radar (NISAR) …

• Special Operations

  Composite Command for Belgium, Denmark and Netherlands SOF

  19th January 2018

  A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the generation of the Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC) by Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands is, pending political …

• Military Logistics

  LAV-25 A2 in airdrop testing

  29th January 2018

  The US Army is conducting airdrop certification testing on the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV-25 A2), it was announced on 25 January. The introduction of the …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF eyes the skies in Shetland

  30th January 2018

  The Royal Air Force (RAF) is getting a new remote radar facility at Saxa Vord, Unst, Shetland, to support the tracking of unidentified military and …

• Special Operations

  Japan highlights SOF capabilities

  22nd January 2018

  The Japan Ground-Self Defense Force’s (JGSDF) Special Forces Group (SFG) conducted a capability demonstration in front of both the Japanese and Australian prime ministers on …

• Defence Notes

  US power not in decline across Asia-Pacific: Dunford

  6th February 2018

  US commitment to the Asia-Pacific remains unwavering even though rivals falsely depict its influence as waning, the country's top general said on 6 February. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Luxembourg launches first military satellite

  31st January 2018

  Luxembourg’s first military satellite, GovSat-1, was successfully launched into orbit onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket from Florida on 31 January. The launch of the platform …

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 ...