• Training

  USN sim updates generate rich pickings

  26th June 2020

  Although new platforms generate millions of dollars in revenue for the T&S; industry, the real money comes from updates to the synthetic training equipment (STE) …

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea kicks offs KDDX design competition

  11th June 2020

  The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) launched a competition for the design of the next-generation Aegis-equipped destroyer for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) on …

• Air Warfare

  Litening strikes again for Rafael

  21st May 2020

  Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on 21 May a new order for its fifth-generation Litening multispectral airborne targeting pods and RecceLite airborne EO …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USMC orders Centaur UGVs from FLIR

  6th April 2020

  FLIR Systems has received an $18.6 million contract for more than 140 Centaur UGVs for the USMC. The order has been secured as part of …

• Defence Notes

  China steps up defence budget to ‘prepare for armed confrontation’

  27th May 2020

  Beijing has increased its defence expenditure by 6.6% for the coming year, even while many other nations are slashing budgets to deal with the COVID-19 …

• Air Warfare

  Rafael to supply Litening 5 and RecceLite for M-346FA aircraft

  7th May 2020

  Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on 6 May that it is supplying fifth-generation Litening-5 and RecceLite systems for Leonardo’s M-346FA light combat aircraft (pictured). It …

• Defence Helicopter

  Italy approves AW169MA order for army

  21st April 2020

  The Italian MoD's Air Force Armaments and Airworthiness Directorate (AFAAD) has approved the acquisition of 15 new Leonardo AW169MA advanced multirole helicopters and associated technical support, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norway receives first Black Hornet vehicle recce system

  30th March 2020

  The first Black Hornet nano-UAV vehicle reconnaissance system (BH VRS) has been delivered to Norway. A spokesperson for manufacturer FLIR told Shephard that the VRS unit …

• Defence Helicopter

  Chinese Z-20F ASW helicopter makes tantalising appearance

  10th April 2020

  It is well known that one significant capability gap in the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is an effective anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, but the …

• Land Warfare

  Boeing to work on Minuteman cryptography upgrade

  25th March 2020

  Boeing has secured a firm-fixed-price contract modification of $8.33 million from the USAF Nuclear Weapons Centre in Utah, for production of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon provides third-generation FLIR sensor

  19th March 2020

  Raytheon has developed, produced and delivered its first third-generation FLIR sensor system for the US Army. The 3rd Gen FLIR system provides individual troops with …

• Training

  MetaVR creates visuals for HH-60G Pave Hawk Simulator

  26th March 2020

  MetaVR is creating visuals for the US Air National Guard’s (ANG’s) new HH-60G Pave Hawk Multi-Mission Crew Trainer (MMCT). The simulator was delivered to Kirtland …

• Digital Battlespace

  Flir launches Ranger HDC MR system

  11th March 2020

  Flir Systems has launched the Ranger HDC MR surveillance system, which provides high-definition midrange surveillance against illegal activities in a range of weather conditions. The …

• Naval Warfare

  C-UAS laser makes USN debut

  9th March 2020

  The USN has installed a first-of-a-kind laser on a destroyer, in order to blind the sensors of hostile unmanned aircraft.  This marks a major development …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Camcopter S-100 supports emergency response efforts in Malaysia

  13th January 2020

  Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 was deployed to provide critical situational information during the 2019 Kim Kim river toxic pollution crisis in Malaysia, the company announced on …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 2) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The baseline requirements for Increment 2 of the CCA effort are similar to Increment 1, which is covered in a separate entry on Defence ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Black Hornet 4 [Switzerland]

  Background Announcment Teledyne FLIR Defense announced on 2 February 2026 that it had received a $17.5 million contract from armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office of ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  RQ-7 Shadow Replacement / Post Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) [US Army]

  Background Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) The US Army planned to procure an FTUAS to replace the Textron Systems RQ-7Bv2 Shadow tactical UAV in service with ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USAFR & ANG]

  Background USAFR & ANG In October 2025, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, a nominee to be the USAF’s next chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Netherlands]

  Background Netherlands & American Partnership On 16 October 2025, the Dutch MoD announced a letter of intent (LoI) had been signed to join the USAF's Collaborative ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 2) [USMC]

  Background MUX Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions, and fly ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Light (OPF-L) (Uncontracted) [USMC]

  Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. In May 2022, an annual update ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  French Operational Pocket Drone / DrOP (France)

  Programme Background French UAV Procurment / DrOP Under its 2019-2025 Military Programming Law (LPM), France aims to introduce 1,200 new UAVs into service with the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that mass is necessary to compete effectively against an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Gambit [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Adding to the MQ-9B Deal Speaking to Breaking Defense at the Dubai Airshow 2025, GA-ASI President David Alexander stated that the MQ-9B procurement programme was still in ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Light (OPF-L) (Contracted) [USMC]

  Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. In May 2022, an annual update ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Denmark]

  Background F-35 On 10 October 2025, the Danish MoD announced that the Danish government and the parties to the Defence Agreement had agreed to acquire an additional ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Light UGVs

  Centaur

  The Centaur is a military UGV developed specifically for the US Army's Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II (MTRS Inc II), a requirement for a ...

• Light UGVs

  Andros Nomad

  Unveiled in 2017, the Andros Nomad is the latest UGV designed by Northrop Grumman to carry out civil and military applications. The platform, which is able ...

• Major networking projects

  WIN-T Increment 1

  WIN-T Increment 1 is defined as providing ‘networking at the halt’ and is divided into two sub-increments defined as Increment 1a (‘extended networking at the ...

• Major networking projects

  WIN-T Increment 2

  WIN-T Increment 2 ('networking on the move') adds soldier mobility and provides a communications network down to company level. Tactical communication nodes in Increment 2 ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Precision Strike Missile (PrSM)

  The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), developed by Lockheed Martin, is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile system designed to provide the US Army with enhanced long-range precision ...

• Land: air defence radar

  AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR

  AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) is a multi-mission system designed to support worldwide expeditionary requirements. It provides detection and tracking capabilities and offers traffic ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MPU5

  The MPU5 (WR-5100) has been described as a smart MANET radio, designed for connectivity, interchangeable frequency module, stream HD video and integrated Radio over IP functionality. ...

• EO/IR systems

  FLIR 111

  The FLIR 111 is a field-proven, high-performance, compact, and lightweight Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) system designed for utility and attack helicopters.  It is jointly produced ...

• EO/IR systems

  KUH FLIR

  The KUH FLIR is an IR system from Hanwha Systems for the Korean Utility Helicopter (KUH). Hanwha says it provides stable infrared images at night and/or under limited ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M592A2

  The M592A2 is a UN-classified ammunition round containing smoke (SMK), white phosphorus (WP), a burster, and an expelling or propelling charge. The round creates a ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M582A1

  The M582A1 is a UN-classified ammunition round containing smoke (SMK), white phosphorus (WP), a burster, and an expelling or propelling charge. The round creates a smoke ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M532A2

  The M532A2 is a UN-classified bomb containing smoke (SMK), white phosphorus (WP), a burster, and an expelling or propelling charge. The round creates a smoke screen ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M580A2

  The M580A2 high-explosive insensitive munition is a successor to the 120mm M580A1 produced by KNDS. It is designed for use against a wide range of targets, including ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M533A2

  The 120mm illuminating (ILL) bomb is produced by KNDS. It is UN-classified as ammunition for illumination, with or without a burster, expelling charge, or propelling ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M583A1

  The 120mm illuminating (ILL) bomb is produced by KNDS. It is UN-classified as ammunition for illumination, with or without a burster, expelling charge, or propelling ...