• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Redesigned Bluefin-9 UUV launched

  30th October 2018

  General Dynamics Mission Systems has released the new re-engineered Bluefin-9 UUV, the company announced on 23 October. The vehicle combines high navigational accuracy, enhanced sonar …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Alion to support US Navy UUVs

  23rd October 2018

  Alion Science and Technology will support the US Navy’s Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Family of Systems (FoS) under a new contract announced on 17 October. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA seeks proposals for third swarm sprint

  18th October 2018

  DARPA is seeking proposals for its third swarm sprint, which will focus on the topics of human-swarm teaming and swarm tactics, the agency announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA receives first SeeMe satellite

  5th October 2018

  Raytheon has delivered the first Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) satellite to DARPA, the company announced on 3 October. The new satellite will …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  L3 Technologies acquires ASV Global

  28th September 2018

  L3 Technologies has acquired ASV Global, the company announced on 24 September. Based in Louisiana and the UK, the new company will be known as …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Riptide Autonomous Solutions Canada established

  14th September 2018

  Riptide has created Riptide Autonomous Solutions Canada in order to meet increasing demand in Canada for flexible AUV systems. The new subsidiary, based in the …

• Digital Battlespace

  US military investing $2 billion in 'next generation' AI

  10th September 2018

  The Pentagon's research wing said on 7 September that it was investing $2 billion to develop a new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) with ‘human-like …

• Digital Battlespace

  Five Eyes nations to benefit from comms enhancements

  10th September 2018

  Armed forces from across the Five Eyes community are set to benefit from a series of tactical communications enhancements allowing them to operate in command …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop, DARPA set new wireless transmission standard

  28th August 2018

  Northrop Grumman and DARPA have set a new standard for wireless transmission by operating a data link at 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) over a …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA reviews satellite servicing robot design

  22nd August 2018

  DARPA has concluded the preliminary design review of a satellite servicing payload for its Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) programme. According to DARPA, results …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE to support CHASE programme

  13th August 2018

  BAE Systems has been selected by DARPA to develop data-driven, cyber-hunting tools that detect and analyse cyber threats to help protect extremely large enterprise networks, …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA looks to BAE for cyber tools

  8th August 2018

  BAE Systems will develop cyber-hunting tools for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under a deal announced on 7 August.  The work will be …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Advanced Navigation’s Spatial Dual INS for Gremlins

  30th July 2018

  Advanced Navigation’s Spatial Dual inertial navigation system (INS) has been selected by Dynetics for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Gremlins programme, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA, Lockheed demo SoSITE technologies

  18th July 2018

  Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and DARPA have performed a series of flight tests demonstrating a system of systems (SoS) approach that enables improved integration across …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  FLA programme completes Phase 2 tests

  26th July 2018

  DARPA has completed Phase 2 flight tests for its Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) programme, demonstrating advanced algorithms performing real-world tasks without human assistance. The programme …

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 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]

  Programme 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 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Arctic Security Cutters (7-11) [USCG]

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

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 aircraft has been developed under the  Series ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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 ...

• Riptide Mk II

  At Oceanology International 2018, Riptide Autonomous Solutions presented its second-generation micro-UUV – the Mk II. The Riptide Mk II UUV has a maximum speed of ...

• 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 - UUVs

  Lamprey MMAUV

  The Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (MMAUV) is a UUV designed by Lockheed Martin. The UUV is intended as an autonomous companion submersible to a ...

• 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.

• 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 ...