• Military Logistics

  DARPA embarks on LogX programme

  23rd May 2019

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched the LogX programme to develop and demonstrate software for real-time logistics and supply chain system …

• Defence Helicopter

  Optionally piloted Black Hawk begins flight tests

  7th June 2019

  Sikorsky has begun flight testing a UH-60 Black Hawk equipped with a new retrofit kit designed to turn the helicopter into an optionally piloted vehicle …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sonardyne tech for Cellula Robotics UUV

  16th May 2019

  Sonardyne’s navigation, positioning and communications technology will support a new, fuel cell-powered long-range unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) being designed by Cellula Robotics for the Canadian …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  L3’s Iver4 UUV demos long-endurance capability

  14th May 2019

  L3 Technologies’ Iver4 UUV has completed a long endurance mission lasting more than 14 hours in San Diego Bay, California, the company announced on 6 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hunt is on for SeaFox support replacement

  17th May 2019

  A contract opportunity placed in May 2019 by the UK MoD will look to replace the support contract for the SeaFox mine disposal system currently …

• Naval Warfare

  UDT Europe 2019: New Wyvern variants to be unveiled

  7th May 2019

  UK naval design firm BMT is planning to present new models of its Wyvern submarine concept at Underwater Defence Technology (UDT) 2019. In addition to …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea-Air-Space 2019: US Navy official ‘optimistic’ about unmanned funding

  8th May 2019

  A US Navy official who oversees the development of various unmanned maritime systems expects his initiatives to proceed despite fresh uncertainty about future defence funding.  …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe 2019: US Army selects cyber EW support

  10th May 2019

  Perspecta has been selected to provide cyber electronic warfare support to the US Army Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors (PEO IEW&S;) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2019: Flying Sea Glider programme nears the end

  2nd May 2019

  A US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) programme to explore the technological feasibility of a swing-role UAV/UUV platform will enter flight and underwater tests in the …

• Naval Warfare

  AUVSI 2019: Unmanned technology driving naval change

  30th April 2019

  With the US Navy (USN) looking to spend up to $1 billion in the procurement and utilisation of unmanned maritime systems in the coming years, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  The future of DARPA's CODE

  19th April 2019

  The USDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has seen strong interest frommilitary and industrial operators in its Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) autonomy system, …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems extends DARPA Air C2 deal

  20th March 2019

  BAE Systems has won a deal with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further develop autonomous software for air mission planning, with …

• Digital Battlespace

  US programme to beat adversary's ‘formidable’ capabilities

  17th March 2019

  A US government agency will award $45.5 million for development of new technologies able to coordinate a future autonomous army of unmanned air and ground …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy eyes using UUVs to protect Columbia submarines

  1st March 2019

  The US Navy is examining how it could use unmanned undersea vehicles to protect its manned ballistic missile submarines, according to a key service official. …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA’s advancements in hypersonic time travel

  7th February 2019

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is investigating advances in materials that could allow hypersonic vehicles to travel through Earth’s atmosphere for longer …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

• Military - UUVs

  Autonomous Ocean Drone [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Saab is delivering a Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LUUV) currently named the Autonomous Ocean Drone AOD) to the Swedish Navy. It is designed to employ underwater ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) (Group 1-3) [US]

  Background Concept In early February 2026, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) stated that it required the ability to rapidly deploy large quantities of UAS while minimising the ...

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

  LongShot [USA]

  Background Requirement As explained by GA-ASI in February 2026, LongShot is envisaged as an air-launched UAV that will fly from larger, mostly crewed aircraft and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XLUUV [USN]

  Background Requirements According to the FY27-FY31 shipbuilding plan, the XLUUVs will be “pier-launched vessels with a modular design that can accommodate a variety of payloads”. They ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Arctic Security Cutters (7-11) [USCG]

  Background Requirements The Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) programme aims to increase the US presence and capability in the Arctic to counter Russian and Chinese influence ...

• Corvettes

  Continental Defence Corvette [Canada]

  Background Initial requirements Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Canada is seeking to procure an undisclosed number of small vessels (below 1000t). Part ...

• AEW&C

  AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement was initially reported in 2016 when it was noted as being part of a long-term development plan, however, reports from ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Military UAS - tactical

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The XRQ-73 designation places this aircraft in the experimental ...

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-Knifefish

  The Bluefin-Knifefish UUV was initially developed for the Surface Mine Countermeasure UUV (SMCM UUV) programme for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ships. It is manufactured by General Dynamics ...

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

  X-68A

  The X-68A is a developmental, host-platform-agnostic air-launched effect (ALE). After developmental contracts were first awarded in 2021 under the LongShot programme, General Atomics (GA-ASI) emerged as the preferred supplier ...

• Sea: procedural training

  UUV Training Simulator

  The Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) Training Simulator teaches users how to operate and control a UUV, specifically with reference to mine hunting. The UUV is ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Tiltrotors, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  X-76

  The X-76 is an operational crewed aircraft designed to combine the flexibility of a helicopter with the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.  Bell Textron is ...

• Military - UUVs

  BlueWhale

  BlueWhale (ELI-3325) is an autonomous uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Israel's Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is designed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Mine Countermeasures (MCM) and ...

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

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  UUV-3500

  The Klein UUV-3500 side-scan sonar family is composed of the mid-depth (3000m) high-resolution, low-power, dual-frequency and the deep (6000m) variant which is a higher power ...

• Military - UUVs

  D19 UUV

  Naval Group's family of D19 drones are AUVs designated for varying taskings such as identification, surveillance, EW, mobile target, minelaying and MCM operations.

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...