• Defence Helicopter

  New Chinese light helicopter makes its first flight

  10th November 2010

  Chinese state-owned helicopter manufacturer Avicopter - part of China Aviation Industry Corporation or AVIC II - completed the first flight of its AC311 light utility …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales launches Watcher

  10th November 2010

  Today at IndoDefence, Thales introduces Watcher, a full radio remote control allowing communicating with every single Thales radio on the battlefield. Innovative and easy to …

• Military Logistics

  First C-130 featuring Rockwell Collins avionics upgrade delivered to the RSAF

  10th November 2010

  The first of ten C-130 aircraft to be modernized with Rockwell Collins Communications, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) technology has been delivered to the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris Corporation awarded $15m IT services contract for Air Force software development

  10th November 2010

  Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has been competitively awarded a $15 million contract, including one base year and a one-year option, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing receives $106m Small Diameter Bomb contract extension

  10th November 2010

  Boeing today announced it has received a $106 million contract extension from the US Air Force for nearly 2,700 Small Diameter Bomb Increment I (SDB …

• Military Logistics

  CSC deploys ERP system to support US Air Force logistics modernization

  10th November 2010

  CSC today announced that it successfully fielded the first portion of the United States Air Force's (USAF) Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), a major Enterprise …

• Defence Helicopter

  UAE requesting Apache Block III

  9th November 2010

  The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress November 3 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Arab Emirates of 30 AH-64D Block II …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  RAAF upgrades Heron UAS for Afghanistan operations

  9th November 2010

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has begun operational use of its Kestrel Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) in Afghanistan, according to payload manufacturer Sentient. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Turkey orders nine more T129 helicopters

  9th November 2010

  AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract for nine T129 combat helicopters. The contract is valued at …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  One million combat flight hours flown by US Army unmanned aircraft

  9th November 2010

  The US Army's unmanned aircraft fleet surpassed the 1 million combat flight hours mark on 27 October 2010. Earlier in 2010, the Army's unmanned aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell Helicopter improves collaboration and Time-to-Market with Dassault Systemes V6 PLM Platform

  9th November 2010

  Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, announced today that Bell Helicopter, a Textron …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus Military A400M drops paratroopers for the first time

  8th November 2010

  The Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has dropped paratroopers for the first time in a successful demonstration of one of its key roles. Six freefall …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell Helicopter and US Army sign agreement to develop drive system technologies

  8th November 2010

  Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company and the US Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate have signed a $30 million Technology Investment Agreement to develop state-of-the-art …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman to provide 40 STARLite radars for US Army's UAVs

  8th November 2010

  Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected to supply an additional 40 STARLite wide area surveillance radars featuring synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and ground moving target …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAIC awarded $39m task order by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)

  8th November 2010

  Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today announced it was awarded a task order by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to provide engineering and technical …

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).