• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Decisions beckon after UK summer holidays

  9th August 2018

  August is traditionally a sleepy period, as the UK government takes a breather and staff disappear for holidays. The flow of news dries up and …

• Naval Warfare

  UK MoD gets the ball rolling again on Type 31e

  15th August 2018

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has resumed proceedings with its Type 31e project after the programme was put on hold last month. An MoD spokesperson …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK selects Rafael’s Drone Dome

  10th August 2018

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded an urgent capability requirement contract for a counter-UAS (C-UAS) capability to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Valued at …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zephyr flies for more than 25 days

  10th August 2018

  The Zephyr S High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) UAS has completed its maiden flight of more than 25 days, Airbus Defence and Space announced on 8 …

• Training

  RP Aero Systems acquired by EDM

  6th August 2018

  RP Aero Systems has been acquired by EDM, a provider of training simulators to the defence and civil aviation industries, the company announced on 2 …

• Land Warfare

  Saab’s support contract for Arthur system extended

  31st July 2018

  Saab has received a one-year contract extension from the UK Ministry of Defence to continue providing logistical support for the Arthur weapon locating system, the …

• Digital Battlespace

  QinetiQ to support delivery of BATCIS to UK

  30th July 2018

  QinetiQ has received a three year contract with options to extend for a further two years, worth up to £95 million ($124 million) to support …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK government consults on further drone misuse powers

  29th July 2018

  The UK government has initiated a consultation process to prevent the misuse of drones, with deterrents such as the issuance of on-the-stop fines for offenders …

• Training

  Inzpire human factors training for UK MFTS

  2nd July 2018

  Inzpire has received a new contract to continue providing airmanship and human factors training to ab-initio students in the UK Military Flying Training System, the …

• Defence Notes

  Profits down at military equipment firm BAE Systems

  1st August 2018

  British military equipment maker BAE Systems said on 1 August that first-half net profits sank almost a fifth on weak demand for Eurofighter Typhoon fighter …

• Training

  First phase of Worthy Down redevelopment complete

  31st July 2018

  The UK Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Skanska have completed work on the first phase of a redevelopment project at Worthy Down camp in Hampshire, …

• Land Warfare

  TEK seating for India’s M777 howitzers

  25th July 2018

  TEK Military Seating has been selected to design, manufacture and supply commander seats for the M777 howitzer systems being built by BAE Systems for the Indian …

• Naval Warfare

  Back to the drawing board for Type 31e project

  24th July 2018

  While the UK continues to pop the champagne over its Australia success with BAE Systems' Type 26 design win, the programme for the smaller Type …

• Training

  Farnborough 2018: UK looks to future ACMI system

  23rd July 2018

  The UK is making some major investments in its air combat training capabilities with programmes such as the Defence Operational Training Capability – Air (DOTC-A), …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SeeByte renews UK MASTT software licences

  24th July 2018

  SeeByte has renewed all SeeTrack and Neptune licences currently used by the Royal Navy’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (MASTT), the company announced on 18 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Programme Background Post-Cold War Requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS SSN

  The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CAPSTONE

  CAPSTONE is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Certe Aerospace, which collaborates with various UK-based defence companies.  Described as a sovereign, scalable, air power capability, CAPSTONE performed ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...