• Digital Battlespace

  Harris Corporation receives $11m order from US Air Force and US DoD

  17th January 2011

  Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received an $11 million order to provide the US Air Force and the US Department …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky unveils virtual reality center for CH-53K heavy lift helicopter

  17th January 2011

  Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today unveiled a state-of-the-art virtual reality center for the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter program, an innovative tool to help identify gaps in …

• Military Logistics

  Air National Guard to conduct evaluation of Guardian anti-missile system on KC-135

  17th January 2011

  Northrop Grumman Corporation and the Air National Guard have initiated modifications to a KC-135 air refueling aircraft in preparation for the Operational Utility Evaluation of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell Helicopter awarded $640m contract to support Canadian forces

  17th January 2011

  Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, has been awarded a 10-year, $640M (CAN) support services contract for the Canadian Forces CH146 Griffon fleet. This contract, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heavy demand for Royal Navy Merlins

  14th January 2011

  The Royal Navy's Merlin helicopter force is busier than it has ever been, according to the fleet's commander. 'Whether it’s the anti-piracy work or the …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA Aviation 2011: Future way forward remains unclear for US Army Aviation

  13th January 2011

  A gap in the US Army's helicopter fleet is likely to emerge in the 2022-25 timeframe when some older airframes are retired, but there is …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA Aviation 2011: VTOL UAS requirement still controversial

  13th January 2011

  After an announcement last week by US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that the army would again be pursuing a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) …

• Military Logistics

  AUSA Aviation 2011: US Army strengthens aviation maintenance and support

  13th January 2011

  The US Army is continuing to shift the way that it supports and maintains its helicopter fleet as lessons are learned from combat operations and …

• Defence Helicopter

  A leaner, meaner Merlin

  13th January 2011

  Improved avionics and updated tactical systems are set to give the Royal Navy Merlin crews the edge in underwater warfare. Under the £850 million Merlin …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA Aviation 2011: Army on track with Apache Block III

  13th January 2011

  The US Army's first Apache AH-64D Block III will be delivered in October, following the programme's recertified after a Nunn-McCurdy breach in 2010, army officials …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman's Hunter reaches 100,000 flight hours operational milestone

  12th January 2011

  Northrop Grumman Corporation's Hunter Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), in use with the US Army since 1996, recently surpassed 100,000 flight hours in service, more than …

• Digital Battlespace

  Upgrades make P-3 Orion more efficient, more effective for the fleet

  12th January 2011

  Newly installed computer hardware and software on-board the P-3C Orion will save the Navy money while making the aging aircraft a better submarine hunter. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland employees awarded Afghanistan Campaign Medals

  12th January 2011

  AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that two of its employees have been awarded Afghanistan Campaign Medals during a recent ceremony held at …

• Defence Helicopter

  SNA Symposium 2011: Kaman, Lockheed continue to expand K-Max offering

  11th January 2011

  Kaman and Lockheed Martin are preparing K-Max for a quick reaction assessment (QRA) that could lead to an in-theatre deployment in the unmanned cargo role, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Observer UAS achieves historic first hydrogen-powered flight

  11th January 2011

  AeroVironment, Inc.(AV) today announced that the Global Observer unmanned aircraft system has successfully completed its historic first flight powered by the aircraft's hydrogen-fueled propulsion system …

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 - fixed-wing, 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. ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

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

  Loyal Wingman [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 - fixed-wing, 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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early 2021 Royal ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Project SEA 3000 [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

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. ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman type MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its first ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

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

  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 ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).