• Naval Warfare

  Spain’s F100 upgrade mirrors Aegis modernisation paths in allied navies

  2nd February 2026

  The Spanish Navy’s Alvaro de Bazan-class of air defence frigates will receive the latest Aegis Weapon System technology among other modernisations to extend the service life to 2045.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia signs US$2.8 billion ship deal with Austal but puts pressure on company to deliver

  20th February 2026

  The A$4 billion Landing Craft Heavy contract for Austal follows on from a A$1 billion deal in December for Landing Craft Medium ships, but the Australian government has made it clear that a contract for Mogami frigates is reliant on the success of these two contracts.

• Air Warfare

  April air forces review: Next-gen platform push ties in with fleet modernisation plans

  29th April 2026

  Countries releasing their spending budgets over the past month have placed an emphasis on advancing next-generation crewed programmes as well as upgrades and expansion plans for air combat and aerial refuelling capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  HIMARS rising: sales, industrial cooperation and missile tests are driving the weapon forward

  17th April 2026

  Australia's milestone Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System test and a wave of fresh contracts and production ramp-ups highlight the building momentum behind long-range strike systems globally, with HIMARS leading the way.

• Naval Warfare

  Mitsubishi eyes future with Australia’s Mogami selection

  15th December 2025

  With Australia’s selection of the Mogami-class for Project Sea 3000, Mitsubishi is investigating local production in the next decade as potential export opportunities emerge.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2026: APAC countries explore fleet upgrade and expansion opportunities

  22nd January 2026

  Ahead of the Singapore Airshow 2026, opportunities for defence firms to upgrade or replace ageing aircraft remain strong, with tactical transport, combat aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft at the top of potential procurement lists.

• Land Warfare

  Australia’s revised defence investment plan: what it means for land warfare

  17th April 2026

  Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program have been adjusted from the 2024 version to promote greater military and industrial self-reliance, taking lessons learned from ongoing conflicts and looking to reinforce the industrial base.

• Air Warfare

  “A dominant force”: empowering Europe’s airborne ISR in a new era

  1st May 2026

  European militaries face a new security landscape, with the proliferation of drones, theatre ballistic missiles and other threats boosting requirements for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and related systems. For L3Harris, missionised business jets are central to meeting these needs, providing capability and flexibility in a cost-effective package.

• Naval Warfare

  Tokyo’s naval export drive gains strategic depth in Southeast Asia

  27th May 2026

  Indonesia’s consideration of Mogami-class frigates points to a widening export opportunity for Tokyo across Southeast Asia and raises the prospect of the Mogami becoming the region’s default mid-tier surface combatant.

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon unveils land version of the Next Generation Jammer

  20th April 2026

  The ground-based NGJ is designed to work as an “invisible shield” to protect land structures and assets. Shephard spoke with Raytheon to find out more.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise

  3rd June 2026

  The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.

• Air Warfare

  Podcast: Critical Care episode 6 - Embedded sustainment with the Royal Netherlands Air Force

  8th January 2026

  What happens when sustainment stops being a service and becomes a partnership?

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force prepares next stage of E-3 Sentry modernisation

  12th May 2026

  The USAF intends to conduct the second phase of the DRAGON programme from FY2026 to FY2030, while the future of the E3 replacement remains unknown.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction

  1st June 2026

  Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.

• Defence Notes

  US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps

  25th June 2026

  Washington and Ottawa’s Arctic and homeland radar initiatives aim to strengthen early warning against cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and long-range aerospace threats approaching North America.

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. ...

• 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 ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (13-14) [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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 - MALE

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). In ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Hawkei

  Thales Australia developed the 4x4 Hawkei for the Australian Army's Land 121 Phase 4 Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light (PMV-L) project.  The prototype was unveiled in ...

• 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 ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  AGM-88E AARGM

  The AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) is a supersonic, medium-range, air-launched tactical missile compatible with US and allied strike aircraft. Designed to upgrade the AGM-88 ...