• Air Warfare

  Australia receives an additional Growler and considers BBJ replacement

  28th March 2023

  The RAAF has returned its Growler fleet to full strength, plus replacements are also needed for two 737 BBJ aircraft used for VVIP transportation.

• Defence Helicopter

  New Sikorsky S-92A helicopters to improve capability of British forces on Falkland Islands

  24th August 2023

  Two Sikorsky S-92A helicopters have been delivered to the Falkland Islands, providing an upgraded support helicopter capability for British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) through improved reliability and operational capabilities.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hensoldt advances detect-and-avoid radar for UAV collision warning

  1st August 2023

  Hensoldt has outlined progress in developing a detect-and-avoid (DAA) radar as part of a collision warning system, aiming to safely integrate UAVs into controlled airspace, particularly as part of the Eurodrone project.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hensoldt advances detect-and-avoid radar for UAV collision warning

  1st August 2023

  Hensoldt has outlined progress in developing a detect-and-avoid (DAA) radar as part of a collision warning system, aiming to safely integrate UAVs into controlled airspace, particularly as part of the Eurodrone project.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hensoldt advances detect-and-avoid radar for UAV collision warning

  1st August 2023

  Hensoldt has outlined progress in developing a detect-and-avoid (DAA) radar as part of a collision warning system, aiming to safely integrate UAVs into controlled airspace, particularly as part of the Eurodrone project.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force completes latest AMRAAM missile configuration audit

  20th April 2023

  The AIM-120D-3 advanced medium range air-to-air missile features modernised hardware, including 15 upgraded circuit cards developed with model-based systems engineering initiatives.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy experiments ship Patrick Blackett gets into its stride

  22nd May 2023

  Having already embarked two experimental capabilities and achieved certification, the UK RN's research ship XV Patrick Blackett is expanding the horizon for the navy's efforts to test and trial new technologies.

• Defence Helicopter

  Hungary receives first two H225M multipurpose helicopters from Airbus

  25th July 2023

  The Hungarian Defence Forces have taken delivery of the first two H225M multi-purpose helicopters from Airbus.

• Training

  Updated: Elbit departs Project Selborne submarine training, Metaverse VR steps in

  2nd June 2023

  Metaverse VR has been chosen to transform submarine training for the Royal Navy as part of Project Selborne.

• Digital Battlespace

  The Unseen Solution: Rugged, Reliable Optics in the Modern Battlespace (Studio)

  9th August 2023

  Optical solutions are crucial for effective situational awareness. As militaries prepare for the combined joint all-domain command and control (CJADC2) future, Raytheon ELCAN is embracing innovation to ensure its customers see faster and farther to make decisions faster in the data-driven battlespace.

• Land Warfare

  The HF Renaissance – The Evolving Electronic Warfare Threats and the Need for Resilient Waveforms (Studio)

  14th September 2023

  Amid modern warfare’s complexity and electronic warfare threats, NATO and its allies are balancing legacy systems with new technologies. With the importance of resilient waveforms underscored, High Frequency (HF) technology has emerged as a robust solution, leading to an “HF renaissance”.

• Naval Warfare

  CAES awarded $200 million contract to provide USN with large ship radar modules

  24th August 2023

  CAES has secured a $200 million contract from Raytheon to provide radar module assemblies for the USN's advanced AN/SPY-6 radars.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army awards Rheinmetall and GDLS nearly $1.6 billion for next phase of OMFV programme

  29th June 2023

  The detailed design and prototype build and testing phases will involve the delivery of up to 11 prototype vehicles.

• Land Warfare

  UK and Poland cooperating on development of future common missile

  14th July 2023

  The UK and Poland will work together to develop a future common missile based on MBDA's Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) as part of wider cooperation between London and Warsaw.

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX 2023: ADSB in talks with Indo-Pacific countries for potential ship deals

  4th May 2023

  The UAE's Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) is in talks with regional players, including Malaysia and Indonesia, for potential ship deals.

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 ...

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

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Programme 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 ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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

  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, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Programme 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 ...

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

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Programme 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  NGJ

  Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) was selected by the USN in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALQ-210

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/ALQ-210 is an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) outfitting the Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo naval support helicopter. The manufacturer’s official literature says that the product ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  BAE Systems’ commenced its work on the Australian Department of Defence’s Air-5416 Project Echidna initiative in 2001. The rationale of the programme was to overhaul ...

• 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). ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon-XF

  Thales’ Vicon-XF is a countermeasure dispensing system which can equip an array of platforms, primarily large aircraft and rotorcraft, according to the manufacturer’s official literature. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...