• Defence Notes

  Aeronautics dip takes shine off Q2 sales growth for Saab

  21st July 2021

  Less than favourable figures for Aeronautics were offset by a 7% increase in orders for Saab in Q2 2021, as the Swedish company eyes work on European Defence Fund projects.

• Naval Warfare

  MUSV development continues for L3Harris

  7th July 2021

  The USN is continuing to fund the evolution of Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels.

• Naval Warfare

  Full “Sense-to-Effect” Torpedo Countermeasure Capability (Sponsored Whitepaper)

  27th July 2021

  For over a hundred years submarines have lurked beneath the waves, providing a silent and current threat to surface shipping, both commercial and military. During World War I, the sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a torpedo fired from a German U-Boat showed the tactical advantages of having an underwater capability in maritime operations.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems to support US Army AMPVs

  8th July 2021

  New sustainment contract for AMPV from the US Army enables the addition of new capabilities and technologies on the new-generation vehicle throughout its time in service.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon to make first production NGJ-MB shipsets for USN

  6th July 2021

  LRIP decision marks the latest milestone in a US airborne electronic attack programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Marines trial UAS swarms and autonomous systems

  19th July 2021

  A UAS swarm dropped underwater vehicles into the sea and delivered supplies to Royal Marine (RM) Commandos, while an autonomous surface vessel monitored the horizon during Autonomous Advance Force 4.0.

• Naval Warfare

  Competition kindled for Korea’s controversial carrier

  10th June 2021

  An as-yet-unapproved light carrier, and an indigenous close-in weapon system (CIWS), grabbed the headlines at South Korea's MADEX naval exhibition.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thailand launches second military satellite

  7th July 2021

  Thailand continues its quest to utilise the space domain for military purposes.

• Training

  USAF adds training capability

  5th July 2021

  While students wait to start their formalised flight training at Columbus AFB, the USAF has introduced pre-course training featuring low-cost flight trainers and courseware aimed at improving entry-level knowledge.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing leads UK Poseidon maintenance and training effort

  8th July 2021

  £233.5 million contract boosts the RAF submarine-hunter fleet, says MoD.

• Land Warfare

  UK Ajax viability in question

  26th July 2021

  As more information emerges about the problems with the Ajax armoured reconnaissance vehicle, doubts at the official, military and political level are increasing about whether it can be delivered.

• Training

  CAE completes deal for L3Harris Technologies S&T businesses

  5th July 2021

  CAE expects to emerge from the current Covid pandemic bigger, stronger and with an increased global footprint following its acquisition of L3 Harris Technologies military S&T assets.

• Air Warfare

  VADER completes first African tests

  25th June 2021

  Acclimatisation flights in Djibouti prepare the French airborne ISR platform for its first deployment to Mali.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus lines up H145M Spike ER2 live fire tests

  27th July 2021

  Airbus wants to add to the lethality of the H145M multirole helicopter by adding Rafael's Spike ER2 fifth-generation precision-guided missile.

• Air Warfare

  Spy’Ranger family growth reflects appetite for unmanned ISR

  2nd July 2021

  A new optronic ball will fly by the end of the year, and Thales is considering other sensors for Spy’Ranger.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Short Range (LE-SR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Medium Range (LE-MR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Fighter - naval

  Future Naval Fighter China

  The PLAN started development work in 2011 for the Type 075 with the aim of increasing the "vertical" amphibious assault capability, with the mountainous East ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  VTOL UAV [New Zealand]

  Background Defence Capability Plan (DCP) In April 2025, the New Zealand government published the DCP, a document that is essentially a blueprint for what procurements ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Surface-to-air missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  RIM-174 Standard ERAM SM-6 Block I/IA

  The SM-6 (RIM-174 Standard ERAM) is a surface-to-air supersonic missile launched from cruisers and destroyers, capable of successfully engaging crewed and uncrewed, fixed- or rotary-wing ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

• EO/IR systems

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder is a surveillance system with a laser rangefinder. Performance includes 1/3in charge-coupled device colour sensor, NTSC or PAL format. Resolution ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Super Komar

  The Super Komar is an upgraded version of the Komar, featuring digital signal processing. Air-to-air modes include boresight, head-up display search, look-up/down, range-while-search, track-while-scan (TWS) and vertical manoeuvre. ...

• Military - UUVs

  Roving Bat

  The Roving Bat is a multipurpose, hybrid ROV and crawler built by Exail. It is designed for close inspection and cleaning operations of immersed vertical structures ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Sylver A-50

  The SYstème de Lancement VERtical (Sylver) A-50 is a vertical launching system (VLS) developed by DCNS (now Naval Group) to deploy medium- to long-range surface-to-air ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Sylver A-70

  The SYstème de Lancement VERtical (Sylver) A-70 is a vertical launching system (VLS) developed by DCNS (now Naval Group) to deploy medium- to long-range surface-to-air ...