• Digital Battlespace

  BAE to develop testbed for space technologies

  16th November 2017

  BAE Systems will develop a space evaluation and analysis testbed under a $12.8 million contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army beefs up GPS jamming resilience

  2nd November 2017

  The US Army is expediting efforts to field technology into theatre that allows critical vehicle systems – including navigation devices and radios – to remain …

• Military Logistics

  Marines targeting ‘boot gaps’

  16th November 2017

  The United States Marine Corps is preparing to close what some see as a tropical weather ‘boot gap,’ following fourth and final field user evaluation …

• Digital Battlespace

  MILCOM 2017: USAF looks to commercial SATCOM reform

  24th October 2017

  Momentum is building to reform the US military’s acquisition processes and help the US Air Force finally acquire long-term commercial satellite communication (SATCOM) capabilities. Reform …

• Digital Battlespace

  MILCOM 2017: USMC seeks industry help for comms gap

  25th October 2017

  The US Marine Corps (USMC) needs industry’s help bridging communication gaps and preparing its deployed marines for austere environments. The USMC's director C4 and chief information …

• Special Operations

  US Air Force looks for help with personnel recovery

  16th November 2017

  The successful recovery of downed flight crews is a critical mission that covers both conventional and special operations forces across the entire spectrum of conflict. Against …

• Defence Notes

  Former UK defence chiefs warn of significant capability gaps

  14th November 2017

  Assumptions made by the UK Ministry of Defence during the 2010 and 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Reviews (SDSR) could leave the country exposed to …

• Training

  Polish C295 FFS enters service

  2nd November 2017

  The Polish Air Force has accepted into service a CAE-built C295 full-flight simulator (FFS) at the 8th Air Base Krakow-Balice in Poland, CAE announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Armed Bell platforms receive ME interest

  10th November 2017

  Interest in the arming of Bell Helicopter’s single- and twin-engine aircraft range is growing across the Middle East. NorthStar Aviation began the deliveries of 30 weaponised …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: China hones naval defence systems

  17th November 2017

  Chinese companies have honed their maritime and naval defence systems via experience gained from their land reclamation efforts and base building in the South China …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed to upgrade IRST21

  23rd October 2017

  Lockheed Martin has received two contracts from Boeing to upgrade the Infrared Search and Track 21 (IRST21) sensor system used on the US Navy's F/A-18E/F …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2017: Nimr scores first Asian customer (video)

  7th November 2017

  Tactical ground vehicle specialist Nimr Automotive has secured its first export contract outside the Middle East in a deal to provide its Long Range Special Operations …

• Special Operations

  NATO SOF prepare to counter an invasion

  31st October 2017

  A NATO special operations exercise conducted in September across eastern Europe was aimed at extending interoperability amongst participating force elements in overcoming both conventional and …

• Naval Warfare

  Shadow looms over UK amphibious capabilities

  26th October 2017

  The future of the UK’s amphibious capabilities looks increasingly uncertain as the defence minister suggested it may no longer be a strategic priority. At a …

• Digital Battlespace

  GATR SATCOM solutions for NZDF

  18th October 2017

  Cubic subsidiary GATR Technologies has received a foreign military sales contract to provide satellite communication (SATCOM) solutions for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), Cubic …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Dominator XP [Thailand]

  Programme Background Purchase As reported by Shephard, in September 2023, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) inducted three Dominator XPs. The RTAF purchased the trio ...

• Loitering munitions

  Project Brakestop [UK]

  Background Information Notice On 25 September 2024, the UK MoD published a prior information notice for Project Brakestop, informing industry of the upcoming competition. Requirements ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook (Singapore)

  Programme Background In July 2020, photos have emerged on the internet of the first Boeing CH-47F Chinook destined for the Republic of Singapore Air Force ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Background Retirement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be retired as ...

• Loitering munitions

  Project Instigator [UK]

  Background Prior Information Notice (PIN) On 21 October 2024, the MoD published a PIN in collaboration with the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;). The notice announced ...

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

  Anka-S (Second Batch) [Turkey]

  Programme Background First Batch Based on comments by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Turkish media in 2018, Shephard believes that Türkiye acquired 26 Anka-S drones ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28NE Night Hunter

  Algerian military's follow-up order suggests that the country is satisfied with the Mi-28NE Night Hunters' performance in operational conditions in the desert environment featuring sandstorms ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (US)

  Programme Background On 6 March 2023, GA-ASI announced that the Air Force Special Operations Command (ASFOC) had contracted three MQ-9B SkyGaurdians, making it the first US customer of the ...

• Transport

  VC-25B [USA]

  Background The modifications to the 747-8 aircraft will include an electrical power upgrade with dual Auxiliary Power Units that are usable in flight, a mission ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Mobile Strike Force Vehicle (Ukraine Aid) [USA]

  Programme background The US first provided Ukraine with the M1117 ASV in September 2022, when 250 vehicles were donated as part of a $400 million ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 [Poland]

  Programme Background Reports of a possible purchase of the C-390 by Poland began circulating in June 2024 after a Polish journalist revealed that Embraer executives ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Loitering munitions

  ZT-180 [Russia]

  Background Claims On 23 February 2023, DER SPIEGEL reported that, according to information it had gathered, China and Russia were negotiating the purchase of 100 ZT-180 drones, ...

• Patrol boats

  Naval Support Vessels [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements The vessels are designed to the operational requirements of the Scandinavian naval environment and will have a length of 47m, a beam of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  PL-5

  The PL is a Group 3 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable UAV from EDGE Group. According to the company, it is engineered for persistent surveillance and ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APQ-181

  The AN/APQ-181 is a low-probability-of-intercept radar fitted to USAFNorthrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers. During the B-2 Radar ModernizationProgram – completed in 2012 – the B-2’s legacy ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Vandal

  Vandal is a next-generation, group II, low-signature UAS manufactured by AEVEX. The UAS is built for speed, precision, and survivability in denied environments and can ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  CreoLand HP

  CreoLand HP is a 10W MANET radio designed for command centres, long-range applications, artillery and special forces units. Notably, it offers a data throughput of 100Mbps ...

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

  Gogol-M

  The Gogol-M is a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone carrier, or mothership, from Strategy Force Solutions. The system can deliver two first-person view (FPV)-type attack drones to hit precision ...

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

  DT-101

  The DT-101 is a small fixed-wing UAV from Deftech. The VTOL-capable platform features SATCOM with up to 10Mbs bandwidth capability. DefTech lists various payloads for ...

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

  H10 Poseidon

  The H10 Poseidon, or H-10, is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV manufactured by Swamrly. Due to the UAV's electric propulsion system, small radar cross-section, lack of detachable thermal signature and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

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

  DT-001

  The DT-001 is a tandem wing UCAV from Deftech. It can host a range of non-offensive payloads, such as IO/EO cameras and an airborne LIDAR. ...

• Loitering munitions

  Q-SLAM-100

  Unveiled at DSEI 2025, the Q-SLAM-100 is a man-portable loitering munition. Manufactured by Arquimea, the system is designed for medium-range missions with 120 minutes of flight autonomy ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Spider VTOL

  The Spider VTOL is a mini electrical fixed-wing UAV. Unlike traditional VTOL UAVs with dedicated motors, propellors and structural parts for performing take-off and landing, the Spider ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Khronos

  The Khronos is a tethered, fully automated UAV for ISR missions in GPS/GNSS-denied and RF-denied environments. The drone's manufacturer, Elistair, stated that it could be deployed from a ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Disruptor

  Publicly unveiled at AUSA 2024, the Disruptor is a loitering munition and UAV manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace. The Group III aircraft utilises a pneumatic launcher ...

• Data links

  MAQA Terminal 3.8m Flyaway Variant

  The Modular Aperture Quad-Band Antenna (MAQA) Terminal is designed to provide a ruggedised, mobile, quad-band SATCOM terminal that supports operations with the WGS constellation, legacy ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARC-231 Skyfire

  The AN/ARC-231 Skyfire is an airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and DAMA SATCOM system. This system supports US DoD requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data ...