• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Gray Eagle ER begins new flight demo campaign

  22nd January 2020

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has begun a series of internally-funded multi-domain operations (MDO) demonstrations of the Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) UAS. The flight …

• Land Warfare

  FY2021 US Army budget request emphasises lethality

  11th February 2020

  The US Army and the USMC are likely to receive around 4,500 vehicles in 2021, the US DoD announced on 10 February during a press …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New year’s resolution for CUSV and its Milestone C

  15th January 2020

  A ‘variety of circumstances’ were factors in Textron Systems’ Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) missing its Milestone C target in 2019, with the system now being …

• Defence Helicopter

  CIRCM in new US Army testing

  16th January 2020

  Northrop Grumman's Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system for the US Army has undergone new tests at White Sands Missile Range. The free flight missile testing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Falco Xplorer​ UAS takes off

  17th January 2020

  Leonardo’s Falco Xplorer UAS has undertaken its maiden flight from Trapani Air Force base, the company announced on 17 January. The aircraft flew for around …

• Defence Notes

  Finland looks to crown new fighter from overcrowded acquisition

  16th January 2020

  Tests and evaluations of five candidates involved in Finland’s HX Fighter Programme (HX-FP) are set to run through to 26 February and will act as …

• Defence Helicopter

  CMV-22B Osprey​ in first flight operations

  22nd January 2020

  The first CMV-22B Osprey aircraft has carried out its first flight operations at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. The aircraft, built by Boeing and Bell Textron …

• Military Logistics

  US government to order 50 C-130s

  14th January 2020

  A Multiyear III award has been finalised between the US government and Lockheed Martin covering the delivery of 50 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The award, …

• Naval Warfare

  Tech demonstrations could be part of Prince of Wales 2021 deployment

  30th January 2020

  The first deployment of HMS Prince of Wales (foreground), second of the UK RN’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, in 2021 could see the platform being used …

• Land Warfare

  Poland receives first high-mobility vehicles

  20th January 2020

  Poland’s air cavalry and airborne brigades will soon be operating new high-mobility vehicles, after the country’s MoD took delivery of the first batch of the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Netherlands' new radar installation under way

  21st January 2020

  Work has begun at the Netherlands Air Force Air Operations Control Station Nieuw Milligen to install a new Signal Multibeam Acquisition Radar for Targeting, Longrange …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NATO AGS deliveries marked in ceremony

  20th January 2020

  Delivery of two RQ-4D UAS for NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme has been marked in a ceremony at Sigonella Air Base, Italy, where the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cambridge Pixel introduces ASD-View

  22nd January 2020

  Cambridge Pixel has added ASD-View to its air surveillance product portfolio as a response to growing demand for the visualisation of ADS-B aircraft data in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Orbital UAV begins shipping second engine type

  15th January 2020

  Orbital UAV has begun shipping a new engine model to Boeing Insitu under its Long Term Agreement (LTA) with the company. The five-year LTA with …

• Naval Warfare

  State of the navy: US surface fleet programmes

  31st January 2020

  With its share of the US DoD’s budget reduced from the Cold War, the USN is having to manage a range of surface fleet shipbuilding …

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 ...