• Digital Battlespace

  Ampex chosen by NAWCAD for mission system avionics

  5th May 2020

  Ampex Data Systems has been selected by the Naval Air Warfare Centre Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to provide mission system avionics, mission system computers/processors, displays and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  THeMIS UGV finishes stint in Mali

  5th May 2020

  Milrem Robotics confirmed on 5 May that its THeMIS UGV has completed its first deployment to Mali as part of Operation Barkhane with the Estonian …

• Training

  MetaVR to assist USAF Reaper training

  1st May 2020

  The USAF Joint Systems Integration Lab (JSIL) has placed an order for an additional 171 MetaVR Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) licences for the MALET-JSIL …

• Defence Notes

  USMC must transform to compete with China

  14th May 2020

  The US Marine Corps has a long and storied history in the Pacific, but the rise of China’s military is forcing the corps to either react …

• Naval Warfare

  USN selects MS-177A sensor provider

  16th April 2020

  The legacy Goodrich Corporation business of Raytheon Technologies has secured a $19.90 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the MS-177A Naval Maritime Experiment Programme. The contract covers …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ascent Vision Technologies announces new CUAS release

  29th April 2020

  Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT) has released its newest variant of the eXpeditionary Mobile Air Defence Integrated System (XMADIS) which provides on-the-move, next-generation and portable sUAS …

• Air Warfare

  Australia selects SUAS+ while TUAV contenders prepare bids

  7th May 2020

  The Australian Army has two important UAV projects under way at present. The Small UAS ‘Plus’ (SUAS+) project has recently selected a winning platform, while …

• Defence Notes

  Saab staves off COVID-19 complications to deliver first UAE GlobalEye

  29th April 2020

  The first of three GlobalEye multirole Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C;) aircraft has been delivered by Saab to the UAE, in a move made possible by …

• Military Logistics

  Delayed Australian C-27J certification is imminent

  21st April 2020

  The RAAF’s C-27J Spartan tactical transport fleet is yet to achieve full military certification, something originally expected by the end of 2019, which would have …

• Special Operations

  Dutch lift lid on Takuba plans

  7th May 2020

  The Netherlands’ Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM) has disclosed to Shephard its planned contribution to Task Force Takuba - a European Combined Joint Special Operations …

• Training

  NATO holds live-fire air policing drills over Baltic Sea

  27th April 2020

  NATO has held its Exercise Ramstein Alloy 20-1 air policing drill to train air crews in procedures and coordination between partner air forces. Belgian and …

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock announces Type 31 supply chain awards

  17th April 2020

  Babcock International’s Team 31 has awarded several new supply chain contract awards which will support the RN’s Type 31 general purpose frigate programme. The confirmation …

• Defence Notes

  Boeing terminates MTA with Embraer, triggering protest

  27th April 2020

  Boeing announced on 25 April that it has terminated its Master Transaction Agreement (MTA) strategic partnership with Embraer, the day after it was due to …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF nuke protection teams gain comms upgrade

  28th April 2020

  USAF security forces tasked with protecting nuclear weapons are receiving enhancements to their communications systems. On 8 April, Persistent Systems announced that it had received …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  General Atomics continues support for US Gray Eagle fleet

  24th April 2020

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has secured a $9.94 million contract modification for continuing efforts to support the US Army Gray Eagle MQ-C1 UAS fleet. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Directed energy weapons

  Project Dragonfire [UK]

  Background The UK Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been working with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ to develop a LASER Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) called ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability - Generation II – High-Power Microwave [US]

  Background In July 2025 Epirus received a US$43,551,060 contract from the US Army for two Generation II systems developed from the HPM (Leonidas). Previously, in ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High-Power Microwave [US]

  Background In May 2024, the US Army took delivery of four High-Powered Microwave (HPM) Directed-Energy Weapons (DEW) to fulfil its Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High-Power ...

• Military UAS - small

  Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an organic, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  U&C reconnaissance drones [US Army]

  Methodology PGO The programme has been assigned a PGO of 100%, as a contract has been awarded. Unit cost It has not been clarified what ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  C-UAS [Portugal]

  Background Portugal's Military Programming Law 2023–2034 includes $8.8724 million (€8.2 million) to acquire counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) by 2034. It is assumed that this acquisition requires ...

• Transport

  C-27J [Azerbaijan]

  Programme Background The Azerbaijani Air Force signed a contract with Leonardo in June 2023 to procure the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft. This move is ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Border C-UAS Defence [Latvia]

  Background Latvia's long-term blueprint for its armed forces lists a comprehensive C-UAS element with an approximate range of three to four km. This programme is ...

• CUAS - jammers

  NEROD RF [France]

  Background France has procured an unconfirmed number of MC2's NEROD RF C-UAS rifles ("fusils brouilleurs") for short-range counter-drone use. In a 2024 Senate report, it ...

• CUAS - jammers

  C-UAS [Taiwan]

  Background Taiwan announced a requirement for portable C-UAS systems with capabilities that include passive detection, takeover, spoofing and jamming. The systems are planned to strengthen ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Finnish Border Guard C-UAS Capability

  Background In response to the growing UAS threat, the Finnish Border Guard was given €44 million for procurements to strengthen drone detection, identification, and countering capabilities. ...

• CUAS - jammers

  C-UAS [Australia]

  Background The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is accelerating the acquisition of state-of-the-art counter-drone technologies through Project LAND 156. The ADF signed a contract with HighCom ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  SAN C-UAS [Poland]

  Background In January 2026, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and its Polish partner Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) signed a contract with the Polish Armaments Agency for the delivery ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  US SOF CUxS (Static) [US]

  Background The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is procuring a Family of Systems (FoS) design to defeat drones. The programme includes development, integration, prototyping, and test of ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  US SOF CUxS (Mounted) [US]

  Background The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is procuring a Family of Systems (FoS) design to defeat drones. The programme includes development, integration, prototyping, and test of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  MEHEL 2.0

  The Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser (MEHEL) is a C-UAS-capable vehicle that employs directed energy to neutralise targets. MEHEL 2.0 was first seen at AUSA 2016, ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Fractl:2

  Fractl:2, developed and manufactured by AIM Defence, is an Australian laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The high-powered portable system is Australia's first acquisition of a directed ...

• CUAS - jammers

  DroneDefender

  DroneDefender is a directed-energy UAS countermeasure that disrupts the adversary's control of the aircraft, neutralising it so that no remote action (including detonation) can occur, ...

• CUAS - jammers

  EJDERHA HPEM System

  The EJDERHA is a high power electromagnetic system manufactured by Aselsan. It generates high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and directs them to potential targets such as IEDs ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Apollo

  Apollo is a High-Energy Laser Weapon System manufactured by Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Apollo's laser utilises directed energy to disable or destroy aerial targets without ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SCATA Mk1

  The SCATA Mk1 is the first military vehicle developed by Finland's SCATA.

• Directed energy weapons

  Leonidas High-Powered Microwave DEW

  Leonardo's US-based subsidiary Epirus has received funding from both the US and Singapore to develop its Leonidas High-Powered Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW).

• Directed energy weapons

  GÖKBERK 10 Laser DEW

  Turkish company ASELSAN's GÖKBERK 10 laser directed-energy weapon (DEW) is designed to destroy cheap, class-I drones. The system is designed to work with other components ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Locust

  BlueHalo's Locust is a laser weapon system. The system delivers a complete kill chain, providing a layered and broadband detection capability that is coupled with electronic ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Minotaur

  Minotaur, developed by Soukos Robots, is a Greek laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). Minotaur is an anti-drone platform with the ability to shoot down unmanned ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  SkyRanger 30

  SkyRanger 30 is a mobile ground-based air defence (GBAD) laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system designed by Rheinmetall. The system comprises automatic cannons, guided missiles, and a ...

• OPVs

  PPA/MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) EVO

  The PPA/MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) EVO is an enhanced version of the Thaon di Revel-class PPAs unveiled at Euronaval 2024. The PPA/MPCS EVO retains the core platform ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Royal Thai Army Laser DEW

  Under Government instructions, the Royal Thai Army is developing a Laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) to counter drones in its border regions. The unit cost ...

• Directed energy weapons

  CROSSBOW MINI

  CROSSBOW MINI, developed by IPG Photonics, is a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). The LDEW has multiple deployable configurations and is a part of the manufacturers ...

• Directed energy weapons

  DIAL

  The Laser Weapon Instrumental Demonstrator (DIAL), in joint development with Indra and Escribano Mechanical Engineering, is a Spanish laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The system ...