• Training

  Royal Navy concludes Information Warrior 2018

  9th May 2018

  The Royal Navy has concluded a three-week exercise, Information Warrior 2018, focused on exploring the adoption of emerging technologies to secure the information advantage at …

• Training

  RNZAF receives first KA350 for training

  11th May 2018

  The first of four leased King Air KA350 aircraft has been certified for use by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), the New Zealand …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insitu continues ties with Royal Navy on ScanEagle

  16th May 2018

  While the UK’s Royal Navy ceased using the Insitu ScanEagle in 2017, the company has suggested that it is still working with the service on …

• Defence Notes

  India intends to place fighters farther east

  11th May 2018

  India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in a key strategic location astride the western approaches to the Malacca, Sunda, Lombok and Ombai Wetar Straits. To …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Martek Marine develops D-FENCE solution

  4th May 2018

  Martek Marine has developed the D-FENCE maritime UAS detection and defeat system to counter UAS that pose a threat to commercial shipping vessels, the company …

• Naval Warfare

  Discussions to end Northwood's Atalanta role imminent

  6th May 2018

  Discussions to host the future headquarters of the EU’s Operation Atalanta counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa will likely take place next week in …

• Naval Warfare

  Thomas Hudner completes acceptance trials

  8th May 2018

  The US Navy has successfully completed acceptance trials of its 36th Arleigh Burke destroyer, the future USS Thomas Hudner, NAVSEA announced on 4 May. The …

• Naval Warfare

  LCS Lightweight Tow system testing moves ahead

  9th May 2018

  The US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules programme has completed the at-sea testing of the AN/SLQ-61 Lightweight Tow (LWT) Torpedo Defense Mission Module …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal misses out on Australian OPV project

  15th May 2018

  Prime contractor Luerssen Australia announced on 11 May that it had concluded commercial negotiations with several partners for the Project Sea 1180 OPV programme, but …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  S-100 integrated with PT-8 Oceanwatch

  2nd May 2018

  The PT-8 Oceanwatch payload has been integrated into the Camcopter S-100 UAS, Schiebel announced on 2 May. PT-8 Oceanwatch is a small target detection payload …

• Naval Warfare

  Unfazed by frigate tracking, France expresses Asian commitment

  7th May 2018

  The French frigate FS Vendemiaire was tracked by a Chinese frigate in the South China Sea while transiting from Hong Kong to Brunei, following a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Outgoing USCG commandant leaves behind warning

  12th May 2018

  In his final days as the US Coast Guard commandant, ADM Paul Zukunft is not shying away from divisive topics that plague today's turbulent political environment.  …

• Naval Warfare

  Canadian navy sees greater engagement in Asia

  4th May 2018

  Half of Canada’s seaboard fronts onto the Pacific Ocean, yet the country’s military is rarely seen across the other side of the Pacific in Asia. …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Griffins and Squirrels leave helicopter flying school

  9th May 2018

  The last graduates leave the UK’s Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) on 28 March having trained on the Squirrel HT1/HT2 and Griffin HT1 helicopters at …

• Naval Warfare

  Azerbaijan Border Guard receives a boost with new OPV

  13th May 2018

  Azerbaijan's coast guard (known as Sahil Mühafizəsinin), part of the country's Border Guard Service or Dövlət Sərhəd Xidmətinin (DSX), has launched its fifth locally built …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project NYX: Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform (LACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) strategy Reflecting on lessons from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  On 27 June 2022, the MoD released a request for information (RFI) for a long-reach intra-theatre lift UAV. The RfI stated that the MOD had identified a ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  On 27 June 2022, the MoD released a request for information (RFI) for a long-reach intra-theatre lift UAV. The RfI stated that the MOD had identified a ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  In October 2025, the Royal Navy (RN) issued a request for industry proposals for Project Vanquish, an initiative to develop and test a Tier 2 ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  In October 2025, the Royal Navy (RN) issued a request for industry proposals for Project Vanquish, an initiative to develop and test a Tier 2 ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR5 [Portugal]

  Methodology PGO The PGO has been set to 100% because the programme has been contracted, with deliveries due very shortly. Units required No details were ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Background Retirement and replacement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (1) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-1) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The Malaysian ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (1) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-1) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The Malaysian ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (2) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a second Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-2) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (2) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a second Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-2) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C295 MPAs [India]

  In February 2024, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Indian ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR3 EVO

  Unveiled at DSEI 2025, the AR3 EVO is a small fixed-wing UAV from Tekever. The system is highly modular and can be configured in a ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR6

  Unveiled in mid-2026, the AR6 is an autonomous heavy-lift drone from Tekever. It features a unique digital-displacement hydraulic powertrain and has been designed from the ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8DN

  The PT-8DN is a versatile day-night payload from Overwatch Imaging.  It has dual RGB sensors of different focal lengths and an HD LWIR sensor. It also ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR2 Carcará

  The AR2 Carcará is a hand- or catapult-launched mini-UAV designed to support search and rescue, surveillance and patrol operations in amphibious and maritime environments. It is ...

• Military UAS - mini

  AR4

  The AR4 is a hand-launched mini-UAS designed for rapid mobile deployment. Manufactured by Tekever, the UAS is suitable for both military and commercial ISTAR applications.  A ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8D

  Marketed as a cost-effective solution, the PT-8D is a wide-area search and ISR payload from Overwatch Imaging. It features an RGB colour camera and a ...

• Subsystems: hardware

  Maritime Console

  The Discovery Machine Maritime Console can create highly intelligent entities for use in simulated training events. It is designed to work with the USN Joint ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish Maritime

  The FlyingFish Maritime SIGINT system is one of several derivatives of the FlyingFish Airborne Satellite Monitoring System developed by Horizon Technologies. Designed to be mounted ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  SitaWare Maritime

  Developed by Systematic, SitaWare Maritime is a C4ISR system that emphasises interoperability, the ability to provide a recognised maritime picture, and data-led decision-making aids. According ...

• Maritime patrol

  Cessna Maritime Patrol

  The Cessna 'special mission' Maritime Patrol Aircraft is a variant of the Cessna Citation Longitude business jet developed by Textron aviation. Textron has stated the onboard systems, ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Torch-X Maritime

  Produced by Elbit Systems, the Torch-X Maritime is a combat management system which combines mature COTS components into an open-architecture C4I suite. Notably, the system ...