• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI Completes Successful First Flights of Lynx Radar on Sky Warrior UAS

  3rd July 2009

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and surveillance systems, today announced that its Lynx Block 30 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AV Achieves Technical Milestone: Controlled Hovering Flight of NAV UAS with Two Flapping Wings

  3rd July 2009

  AeroVironment was awarded a Phase II contract extension in April from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design and build a flying prototype …

• Defence Helicopter

  X2 picks up speed

  2nd July 2009

  The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation's X2 Technology demonstrator achieved another milestone with the completion of two test flights that included full engagement of the distinctive propeller …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk continues to soar with Overseas Operations Support, next-generation payload flight testing

  2nd July 2009

  The combat-proven RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS), built by Northrop Grumman Corporation, continues to prove its mettle by exceeding more than 31,000 cumulative …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia flags Tiger progressive upgrade

  1st July 2009

  The Australian Department of Defence is flagging emerging plans for a progressive upgrade to its Eurocopter Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters. Australia’s latest defence capability plan …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia defers HALE UAS to after 2019

  1st July 2009

  Australia has deferred its planned acquisition of a multirole high altitude unmanned air system until after 2019 as part of its revised defence capability plan …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia reveals slower CH-47F acquisition plan

  1st July 2009

  Australia does not expect to achieve initial operational capability with this proposed fleet of seven new Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters before 2016 and is planning …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia eyes 2014-2016 IOC for Seahawk replacements

  1st July 2009

  Australia wants to achieve an initial operating capability with its replacement naval tactical helicopter between 2014 and 2016, but the project may not receive initial …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin Delivers First Target Sight System Production Unit to the US Marine Corps

  30th June 2009

  Lockheed Martin marked the delivery of the first Target Sight System (TSS) production unit at a ceremony held at its Orlando, FL, facility today. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman completes first flight of land-based MQ-8B Fire Scout

  30th June 2009

  A Northrop Grumman Corporation MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned Aircraft System (VUAS), designated P7, has successfully completed first flight operations at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pave Hawk rescue mission revealed

  30th June 2009

  The United States Air Force (USAF) has revealed more details about a long-range Search and Rescue mission it conducted last week. As previously reported on …

• Defence Helicopter

  MV-22 Ospreys Conduct Medical Evacuation

  30th June 2009

  The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) made history by using two MV-22B Ospreys, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), to conduct a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE Systems secures Autonomous Systems Capability Technology Demonstrator Contract

  29th June 2009

  A contract awarded to BAE Systems by the Federal Government will significantly enhance Australia’s development of enhanced surveillance technology for unmanned aircraft systems, according to …

• Defence Helicopter

  FN Herstal reveals 'armed' AW101

  29th June 2009

  Belgian weapons specialist FN Herstal has revealed pictures of an armed AW101 Merlin undergoing weapons integration testing. It is understood AgustaWestland borrowed an Italian Navy …

• Defence Helicopter

  SNC awarded contract for 200 TactiLink Eagle video point to point data communications system for LUH

  29th June 2009

  Sierra Nevada Corporation announced today that it has received a competitive contract award from American Eurocopter, a business unit of EADS North America, to produce …

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. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...