• Defence Notes

  US shoots down Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic, debris recovered

  8th February 2023

  The US shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon and initiated efforts to recover the debris from the Atlantic Ocean. Analysis of the debris could inform US export control measures and provide insight into China's supply chain.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2023: Allen-Vanguard builds UAE counter-UAS and EOD capability

  16th February 2023

  The company is aiming to develop an indigenous electronic countermeasures capability offering for nations in the MENA region.

• Naval Warfare

  Curtiss-Wright keeps US Navy IFF technology modular

  13th February 2023

  Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions has been awarded a third contract to supply open-systems architecture processors for the US Navy's shipboard IFF processors.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2022: Presagis joins with Airbus for geospatial data modelling

  29th November 2022

  Presagis will use Airbus satellite images to enhance geospatial digital twin modelling offering.

• Naval Warfare

  India commissions its fifth Scorpene submarine

  24th January 2023

  Just one more Project 75 submarine remains to be completed, after the fifth was commissioned into the Indian Navy.

• Land Warfare

  How the Ukraine war will reshape future land forces capabilities

  15th February 2023

  Lessons learned from the battlefield are leading armies and industry toward focusing on innovative, multidomain, uncrewed, cyber, machine learning and AI solutions in addition to advanced logistic capacities.

• Air Warfare

  Hensoldt develops demonstrator SIGINT pod for Eurodrone

  23rd January 2023

  The company has already demonstrated its C-ESM capabilities in ground and flight tests.

• Land Warfare

  UK rethinks tank fleet numbers as Challenger 3 project hits critical milestone

  16th February 2023

  Unlike some UK combat vehicle programmes, the Challenger 3 project is on track and on budget, having passed its critical design review earlier this February.

• Air Warfare

  Kratos divisions join US hypersonic Mayhem programme

  13th January 2023

  Kratos and Leidos will be part of the System Design Agent team for the Mayhem programme that will oversee designs, prototypes and tests of an air-breathing hypersonic weapon system for the US Air Force.

• Training

  Kongsberg Digital joins Royal Navy Selborne training programme

  15th February 2023

  Kongsberg will join the Capita-led Team Fisher on Project Selborne, providing a new suite of navigation simulators for training Royal Navy sailors.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  General Atomics offers two UAS to Ukraine for a dollar

  2nd February 2023

  US-built UAS like the MQ-9A Reaper would offer significantly more capability than systems like the TB2, which are already in service in Ukraine.

• Defence Notes

  India takes a step towards hypersonic capability

  16th December 2022

  India's latest test of its HAVA hypersonic vehicle takes the country a step further towards fielding a functional weapon system.

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia looks to Thales for next-generation naval comms

  14th December 2022

  Thales has supported the Australian Navy with the MTWAN network for the past 12 years.

• Land Warfare

  Thailand’s first LG1 towed howitzers touch down

  7th February 2023

  The first of Thailand's new 105mm field guns have arrived home, while the country's Defense Technology Institute (DTI) pursues other indigenous programmes such as combat reconnaissance vehicles and an MRAP.

• Air Warfare

  How FCAS and GCAP fighter jet programmes could converge at subsystem level

  8th February 2023

  The European Initiative for Collaborative Air Combat will bring together nearly 40 industry partners from 11 countries to focus on interoperability for European air forces’ mission management. Discussion of FCAS seems inevitable and the project may aid in bringing FCAS and GCAP closer to each other.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Requirement Following a 2019 skirmish with India, Pakistan placed newfound importance on EW and ISR, primarily due to the significant advantage gained during that ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Multidomian Micro Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Special Notice On 14 November 2024, a Special Notice was released that informed the industry that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was looking for ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian [Denmark]

  Background Arctic Capability Package In February 2021, Denmark published the Arctic Capability package, a commitment to invest in new technologies, particularly uncrewed systems, to improve surveillance ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Long-Range Drones [Norway]

  Background Andøya Ambition On 3 April 2023, the Norwegian MoD released a statement confirming its plans for Andøya, the northernmost island in its Vesterålen archipelago. In addition to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long Range One-way Platforms [US]

  Solicitation In October 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) released a solicitation for long-range, one-way platforms. The DIU noted recent conflicts highlighted the asymmetric impact of low-cost, ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat 128 [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirement Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) was seeking a platform for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that would significantly expand its surveillance range ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Mini Intelligence Drone System (SMDR) [France]

  Background Requirement The French Army identified a need for a new tactical UAS to replace the Drac, which entered service in 2008. The Mini Reconnaissance ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  CH-4 (First Batch) [Pakistan]

  Programme Background First Batch According to the Pakistan Exim Trade Info website, five aircraft were delivered to the country on 15 January 2021. According to a ...

• Military UAS - small

  M Solar-X [Thailand]

  Programme Background Roadmap In February 2024, the RTAF unveiled its White Paper 2024. Incorporating lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Hamas War, and other events ...

• Loitering munitions

  Medium-Range Loitering Munition with LEO Satellite Data Link [South Korea]

  Background New Project In April 2025, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced a new project titled “Development of Medium-Range ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (4-5) [Denmark]

  In January 2025, Denmark announced the acquisition of "three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity" and "satellite capacity" worth over ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (4-5) [Denmark]

  In January 2025, Denmark announced the acquisition of "three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity" and "satellite capacity" worth over ...

• ISR/special mission

  MC-27J [Algeria]

  Programme Background Algeria has a long standing ISR aircraft requirement to support its Beech 1900 fleet comprised of six aircraft. The new ISR fleet is ...

• OPVs

  Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (1-12) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements The primary role of the OPVs will be ISR and patrol. The armament will be limited. One of the key features is a reduced ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  Caihong

  The Caihong (Rainbow), also known as the Cai Hong or CH, is a solar-powered HALE platform designed for near-space flight. It is suitable for military ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Morning Star

  Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Morning Star is a quasi-satellite, near-space, solar-powered platform. It is designed for both military and civilian applications, including reconnaissance, navigation ...

• ISR/special mission, Maritime patrol

  A320neo M3A

  Currently under development by Airbus, the A320 M3A is the Maritime Patrol version of the civilian A320neo aircraft. The aircraft can be fitted with a wide ...

• Space: radar systems

  ESA Sentinel-1

  Sentinel-1 is a planned constellation of four satellites with two already in orbit and two on order. They carry a payload of a C-band SAR ...

• Space: radar systems

  SARah

  SARah is the planned follow-on system for the SAR-Lupe radar satellite constellation operated by the German Armed Forces. In 2013, it was announced that OHB ...

• Major networking projects

  EAC

  The NATO Communications and Information Agency awarded ACTIA Sodielec a contract in June 2013 to provide NATO with an Extended Advanced SATCOM Network Monitoring and ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Vocality Pro Series

  The Pro Series includes the V25, V50, V150 and V20. These are designed to be used in a central communications hub or as part of ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish Maritime

  The FlyingFish Maritime SIGINT system is one of several derivatives of the FlyingFish Airborne Satellite Monitoring System developed by Horizon Technologies. Designed to be mounted ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  S-70UAS U-Hawk

  Unveiled at AUSA 2025, the S-70UAS U-Hawk is an uncrewed version of Sikorsky’s crewed UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter.  It will act as a delivery aircraft for medium-sized uncrewed ground vehicles ...

• Guided munitions

  GP155B

  The GP155B is a 155mm artillery round developed by Norinco. The GP155B integrates satellite-based guidance systems that are compatible with both the Chinese Beidou Navigation ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish

  FlyingFish is an Airborne Satellite Monitoring System designed to detect and intercept SATCOM from airborne ISR platforms. As a passive system, it cannot be detected ...

• Data links

  Space CDL

  The Space Common Data Link (CDL) system provides a wideband data link capability adaptable to a variety of space-based applications. It consists of separate transmitter ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ULTRA

  The Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA) is a fixed-wing drone from DZYNE Technologies. It is described as a long-endurance, GPS-hardened intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform with full global ...

• Data links

  MiMMC

  Microsat Man-Packable Mission Command (MiMMC) is a satellite-based BLoS communications system providing the ability to extend mission command applications including voice, video and data transfer ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish Naval

  The FlyingFish Naval SIGINT system is one of several derivatives of the FlyingFish Airborne Satellite Monitoring System (ASMS) developed by Horizon Technologies. Whereas the original ...