• Defence Notes

  USAF selects Cubic P5CTS/TCTS

  3rd February 2012

  Cubic has been awarded a new contract for its P5 Combat Training System/Tactical Combat Training System (P5CTS/TCTS) by the US Air Force Range Instrumentation Systems …

• Defence Helicopter

  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force selects ALMDS

  3rd February 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has purchased four of its Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) to help protect its …

• Defence Helicopter

  Whales inspire rotor blade efficiency study

  2nd February 2012

  After studying humpback whales, scientists working for the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have discovered and flight tested a way of making helicopters more manoeuvrable, it …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK tests wind farm resistant radar

  1st February 2012

  The UK MoD has tested a newly-installed radar designed to counter interference associated with wind farms, it has been revealed. In a statement on 12 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Extra Chinooks arrive in Australia

  1st February 2012

  The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) fleet of CH-47 Chinooks has increased to seven with the arrival of two ex-US Army examples, it has been revealed. …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin marks 2400th C-130 Hercules delivery

  31st January 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that its C-130 Hercules programme has reached an historic milestone, following the delivery of its 2400th aircraft. The aircraft is an …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Coast Guard receives 13th HC-144A Ocean Sentry

  31st January 2012

  Airbus Military has announced that along with prime contractor EADS North America, it has delivered the 13th HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft to the …

• Defence Helicopter

  First NH90 TTH in Final Operational Configuration delivered

  31st January 2012

  Eurocopter has announced that it has officially delivered the first NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) qualified in its final operational configuration to the French armament …

• Land Warfare

  Northrop Grumman receives C-RAM contract

  30th January 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been awarded a contract to install and sustain Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) systems at forward operating bases …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing announces Canadian CH-47F suppliers

  30th January 2012

  Boeing has selected a number of firms for the first group of work packages for in-service support of 15 Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters. According to …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham Body Fuel Tanks selected for KC-46A

  30th January 2012

  Boeing has selected Cobham Mission Equipment to provide Body Fuel Tanks in support of the US Air Force’s KC-46 Tanker programme. Cobham revealed its selection …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF moves forward with HH-60 replacement

  30th January 2012

  Despite budget cuts continuing to cast a long shadow over US helicopter programmes, the US Air Force is looking to advance plans for a new …

• Defence Helicopter

  Becker Avionics DVCS6100 selected for UH-72A Lakota

  27th January 2012

  Becker Avionics has announced that its Digital Voice Communication System (DVCS 6100) has been selected for the US Army’s new UH-72A Lakota Mission Equipment Package …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman, US Navy test UCAS refuelling

  27th January 2012

  Northrop Grumman and the US Navy successfully completed a series of flight tests to demonstrate technology that could help extend the operating range and flight …

• Defence Helicopter

  EC135 selected for Boeing, Thales ADF bid

  27th January 2012

  The Eurocopter EC135 has been selected as the preferred platform for Boeing and Thales bid for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Project AIR 9000 Phase …

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 ...