• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE, Prismatic to develop solar UAS

  4th May 2018

  BAE Systems has signed an agreement with Prismatic to develop a new solar electric UAS, which will have the potential to fly for up to …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: TerraSim launches TerraTools v. 5.6

  13th May 2018

  TerraSim has announced that it will be demonstrating the latest version of its virtual terrain generation software, TerraTools 5.6 at ITEC 2018 in Stuttgart. TerraTools …

• Training

  Lockheed Martin receives ELGTR order

  18th May 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a $23.1 million contract from the US Navy for follow-on production of Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTRs) to support the …

• Defence Helicopter

  USMC receives first CH-53 King Stallion

  18th May 2018

  Sikorsky has delivered the first CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter to the US Marine Corps (USMC). The USMC plans to buy as many as …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NASA plans to send mini-helicopter to Mars

  12th May 2018

  The US space agency said 11 May it plans to launch the first-ever helicopter to Mars in 2020, a miniature, unmanned drone-like chopper that could …

• Digital Battlespace

  Angola loses first satellite, plans successor

  23rd April 2018

  Angola on 23 April confirmed the premature death of its first national telecoms satellite, Angosat-1, which was launched in December 2017 and was expected to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Alta Devices solar tech for UAV project

  17th May 2018

  Alta Devices’ flexible and lightweight solar technology has been selected by the US Naval Research Laboratory to power its Hybrid Tiger UAV, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ASV Global continues trials under ASSSS project

  18th May 2018

  ASV Global is continuing to carry out trials for the Autonomous Surface and Sub-surface Survey System (ASSSS) collaborative research project, the company announced on 16 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insitu, UAF to partner for UAS IPP

  17th May 2018

  Insitu will join forces with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) for the FAA's UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP), the company announced on 15 May. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin submits GPS IIIF proposal

  19th April 2018

  Lockheed Martin has submitted its proposal for the US Air Force's GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) programme, it was announced on 17 April. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Kelvin Hughes receives type approval for SBS-700-2

  14th May 2018

  Kelvin Hughes has received type approval for its SBS-700-2 radar system in China, the company announced on 9 May. Part of Kelvin Hughes's family of …

• Training

  Nautilus to achieves JALO accreditation

  16th May 2018

  Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) has supported Nautilus International Risk Consultants in achieving Joint Air Land Organisation (JALO) accreditation using the Holovis International’s Joint Terminal Attack …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon to support UAS airspace test corridor

  8th May 2018

  Raytheon has been selected as a partner by Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) in the development of a UAS-testing airspace corridor in New York …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2018: Orbital ATK targets gunship precision

  17th May 2018

  Attempting to expand on its current position on selected US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) gunship platforms, Orbital ATK is conducting some internally funded …

• Defence Helicopter

  BAE to demonstrate optical seeker for DARPA

  9th May 2018

  BAE Systems has received a $13.1 million contract from DARPA to demonstrate a new optical seeker for precision-guided munitions, the company announced on 7 May. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Medium-Range Loitering Munition with LEO Satellite Data Link [South Korea]

  Background New Project In April 2025, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced a new project titled “Development of Medium-Range ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long Range One-way Platforms [US]

  Solicitation In October 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) released a solicitation for long-range, one-way platforms. The DIU noted recent conflicts highlighted the asymmetric impact of low-cost, ...

• Military UAS - small

  Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) GUARD [Ireland]

  Background Problem As stated on the project’s website in 2022, Ireland is the “softest target in the EU for smugglers” due to its 3,171 km ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Micro UAV [Argentina]

  Background Tender The EA and MoD in April 2021 announced Public Tender 0090/2021 (UOC: 84/135), which saw the General Directorate of Material begin the process of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  CH-4 (First Batch) [Pakistan]

  Programme Background First Batch According to the Pakistan Exim Trade Info website, five aircraft were delivered to the country on 15 January 2021. According to a ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  BZK-005 [Sudan]

  Methodology PGO and programme status Defence Insight has assigned this programme a PGO of 100% since it is complete. Units required Defence Insight estimates that ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Requirement Following a 2019 skirmish with India, Pakistan placed newfound importance on EW and ISR, primarily due to the significant advantage gained during that ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 (1-6) [UAE]

  Background Long history The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  CH-4 (Second Batch) [Pakistan]

  Background First Batch According to the Pakistan Exim Trade Info website, five CH-4 aircraft were delivered to the country on 15 January 2021. According to a satellite ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Wing Loong II [Pakistan]

  Background Original Effort On 6 October 2018, the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) announced on social media that it would acquire 48 Wing Loong II UAVs. ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  NH90 - NFH [Italy]

  Background  Programme history The Italian Navy took delivery of its first NH90 NFH helicopter in Full Operational Capability (or Step B) configuration in 2011. The ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper [Spain]

  Programme Background First Contract The US State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft and associated parts, equipment, and logistical ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Turkish UCAV [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Desired Procurement Saudi Arabia reportedly began negotiations to procure six Anka UAVs in 2013. It had not been disclosed which Anka variant was requested, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Space: radar systems

  RISAT-1

  Radar Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) is a microwave remote-sensing satellite carrying an SAR payload operating in C band (5.35GHz), which enables imaging of surface features during both ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  OceanTRx 4MIL

  The OceanTRx 4MIL is a ruggedised maritime SATCOM solution featuring simultaneous multi-band communication and advanced antenna management capabilities.  It was introduced at the Euronaval 2022 ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 6 SATCOM

  Skynet 6 is designed to replace Skynet 5. The PFI contract for Skynet 5,  held by Paradigm Secure Communications and Airbus DS, ends in 2022. As ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Osprey u8 HGL

  Launched in 2023, Kymeta Osprey u8 HGL is a hybrid Geostationary/Low-Earth Orbit terminal that provides satellite communications on the move. Notably, it can be mounted ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM, UAS: communication systems

  Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT)

  Orbit's Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT) is a family of stabilised VSAT systems suitable for installation on smaller vessels and airborne platforms including uncrewed vehicles. 

• Military Satellites - ISR

  Radarsat-2

  Owned and operated by MDA, Radarsat-2 was launched in late 2007 as a follow-on radar satellite to Canada’s Radarsat-1. The satellite's resolution ranges from a ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  SURFSAT-L

  Produced by Thales, SURFSAT-L is a SATCOM terminal designed for medium to large surface vessels. According to the manufacturer, it is designed to achieve a ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MONDO Satellite Terminal

  The Multi Orbit Network, Dual Operation (MONDO) Satellite Terminal is a developmental SATCOM solution that provides continuous communication links on GEO, LEO and MEO networks. ...

• Military Satellites - ISR

  Helios

  The Helios system consists of the Helios 2A and Helios 2B satellites, the latter of which was launched in December 2009, five years after Helios ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Multi-Orbit Tactical Terminal

  Intelsat Multi-Orbit Tactical Terminal (MOTT) is a ruggedised terminal with a low-profile design. The vehicle-mountable terminal features an electronically steered array antenna, edge computing capabilities ...

• Data links

  GSNC

  Global Secure Network Connection (GSNC) provides a global data communications solution for military aircraft, including bomber, refuelling and transport aircraft. The GSNC system uses Iridium ...

• Space: radar systems

  ESA Sentinel-1

  Sentinel-1 is a planned constellation of four satellites with two already in orbit and two on order. They carry a payload of a C-band SAR ...

• Space: radar systems

  NISAR

  The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a joint programme between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to build and launch an observation ...

• Space: radar systems

  TerraSAR-X and ​TanDEM-X

  TerraSAR-X and the more advanced TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for digital elevation measurement) are designed to operate closely together to generate an accurate 3D image of ...

• Military - USVs

  USV-12

  The USV-12 is an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) developed by HAVELSAN and VN Maritime Technologies. The modular platform is designed for defence, maritime security, and search ...