• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA launches MIDAS programme

  29th January 2018

  DARPA has launched the Millimeter-Wave Digital Arrays (MIDAS) programme to improve secure military communications between platforms. The programme aims to develop element-level digital phased-array technology …

• Military Logistics

  Orbital ATK to research hypersonic engines

  26th January 2018

  Orbital ATK has been selected by DARPA to study the integration of turbine and hypersonic engine technologies into a new aircraft propulsion system under its …

• Naval Warfare

  ADECS 2018: JMSDF anticipates new and smaller destroyers

  23rd January 2018

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) had 47 destroyers in 2013, but it plans to boost its fleet to 54 by 2023 by introducing a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Second Sea Hunter hull gets go-ahead

  18th December 2017

  A second Sea Hunter USV is to be built by US-based Leidos in a continuation of the programme to deliver a viable long-endurance unmanned ASW …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SeeByte wins MK18 UUV support contract

  29th November 2017

  SeeByte has received a $22.59 million contract to provide engineering, technical support, and training services over five years for the US Navy's MK18 unmanned underwater …

• Military Logistics

  DARPA grapples with UUV logistical challenges

  2nd November 2017

  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is eyeing ways to mitigate logistical challenges associated with sustaining, deploying and repairing unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA HIVE programme continues

  13th November 2017

  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Northrop Grumman to collaborate on the development of a graph processor chip that aims to enhance …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE to develop testbed for space technologies

  16th November 2017

  BAE Systems will develop a space evaluation and analysis testbed under a $12.8 million contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Knifefish UUV completes contractor trials

  30th October 2017

  General Dynamics Mission Systems has completed contractor trials for the US Navy’s Knifefish mine countermeasure (MCM) UUV programme, the company announced on 26 October. Knifefish …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: China hones naval defence systems

  17th November 2017

  Chinese companies have honed their maritime and naval defence systems via experience gained from their land reclamation efforts and base building in the South China …

• Land Warfare

  Honeywell tests virtual window technology

  23rd October 2017

  Honeywell has successfully completed research and testing of 'virtual window' technology as part of DARPA's Ground X-Vehicle technologies programme, the company announced on 19 October. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2017: GM SURUS about UGVs

  11th October 2017

  GM has unveiled its Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS), a large multipurpose hydrogen-electric UGV at the AUSA exhibition in Washington DC.  Based on commercial …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aptima receives Agile Teams programme contract

  21st September 2017

  Aptima has received a multi-year contract worth $3.5 million from DARPA for the Agile Teams (A-Teams) programme, the company announced on 18 September. The programme …

• Land Warfare

  DARPA’s MFP to counter small UAS

  24th August 2017

  DARPA has awarded Phase 1 agreements for its Mobile Force Protection (MFP) programme to three teams led by Dynetics, Saab and SRC, the agency announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  HII's Proteus demos battle space capabilities

  23rd August 2017

  Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has demonstrated the performance of its Proteus dual-mode undersea vehicle as part of the US Navy-hosted Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) …

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]

  Programme Background Requirement According to DARPA, the objective of the LongShot programme is "to disrupt the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned ...

• 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 ...

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

  LongShot

  The LongShot is a developmental air-launched platform intended to increase the survivability of friendly crewed aircraft. In February 2021, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ...

• 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 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

  BlueWhale

  BlueWhale is an autonomous uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Israel's Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

• Military - UUVs

  Iver4 580

  The Iver4 580 is a UUV designed by L3Harris for commercial and defence survey operations.

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military - UUVs

  Nezha-SeaDart

  The Nezha-SeaDart is a hybrid UAV and UUV developed by  Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). It is a tail-sitting, electric-powered VTOL-capable aircraft. Notably, the platform can ...