• Defence Helicopter

  Third VH-71 Presidential Production Helicopter Completes Initial Flight

  13th January 2009

  The VH-71 presidential helicopter program set another milestone with the maiden flight of the third pilot production helicopter today. This is the seventh presidential helicopter …

• Defence Helicopter

  Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney Successfully Complete Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine (AATE) Design Review

  13th January 2009

  The Advanced Turbine Engine Company, LLC (ATEC), a Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney joint venture, has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) by the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Canadian Chinooks make their debut

  13th January 2009

  With handshakes over signed documents, the transfer of six D-model Chinook medium- to heavy-lift helicopters from the U.S. Army to the Canadian Forces was completed …

• Defence Helicopter

  Partial ownership shift in Hiller's Chinese JV

  13th January 2009

  Hiller (China) Aircraft Manufacturing Company has reached agreement with the Shanxi Xinhaisheng Trade Company for the sale of a 29.4 per cent shareholding in the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Becker Avionics Digital Intercom System DVCS6100 provides crystal clear communication for UH-72A Lakota

  13th January 2009

  Becker Avionics is very pleased that EADS North America has received a contract from the U.S. Army for 39 additional UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  VEGA Group and SELEX Sistemi Integrati UK come together to form SELEX Systems Integration

  12th January 2009

  In January 2009, VEGA Group PLC and SELEX Sistemi Integrati Ltd came together to create SELEX Systems Integration Ltd (SELEX SI), which is now a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  France chooses Sagem to design the datalink system for tomorrow's UAVs

  12th January 2009

  French defense procurement agency DGA has chosen Sagem (SAFRAN Group) over a field of competing companies to design the datalink system for unmanned aerial vehicles …

• Defence Helicopter

  Turbomeca do Brasil to assemble and support the Makila 2A engines of new Brazilian EC725 helicopters

  12th January 2009

  Following the contract signed between Eurocopter and the Brazilian Army and Navy for 50 EC 725 helicopters to be delivered between 2010 and 2016, Turbomeca …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Army micro-UAS research in the spotlight

  12th January 2009

  In addition to highlighting expanding tactical UAS applications and new programme opportunities, the recent Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) Army Aviation Symposium and …

• Defence Helicopter

  First Production VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Arrives at Lockheed Martin to Start Final Production Phase

  11th January 2009

  The first Lockheed Martin pilot production VH-71 presidential helicopter to begin the integration and final production process arrived at the company's Owego, NY, facility. Six …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing Completes Apache Longbow Training Upgrade Contract

  9th January 2009

  Boeing announced today that its Integrated Defense Systems Training Systems and Services organization has completed a six-year U.S. Army contract to retrofit and upgrade 22 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman to equip Directional Infrared Countermeasures System onboard US Marine Corps CH-53D and CH-46E helicopters

  9th January 2009

  Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded separate contracts to outfit U.S. Marine Corps CH-53D and CH-46E helicopters with the company's battle-proven Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  No 'hidden message' in Army briefing

  9th January 2009

  Titled “Above the Best: Army Aviation Today & Tomorrow,” the keynote address presented at the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA’s) Army Aviation Symposium …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army discovers new applications for manned / unmanned teaming

  9th January 2009

  US Army field commanders are continuing to expand the potential applications for UAS in tactical operations, including actions now underway to establish a ‘Task Force …

• Defence Helicopter

  Snark seeking a new home

  9th January 2009

  The New Zealand team behind the Snark unmanned combat helicopter family say the programme is far from becoming history and development work is planned to …

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 ...

• 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 - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (5-6) [Australia]

  Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated GCS. ...

• 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, ...

• 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

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  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 system ...

• 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 ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  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 2021 Royal ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Project SEA 3000 [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  Air-5416 Project Echidna was an initiative launched in 2001 by BAE Systems for the Australian DoD. Its goal was to overhaul the self protection systems ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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). ...

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman type MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its first ...

• 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 ...

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

  M Solar-X

  First revealed in August 2020, in February 2024, at its symposium, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) showcased the M Solar-X. This solar-powered fixed-wing drone was ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).