• Defence Notes

  UN reports on North Korea challenges

  18th September 2017

  The United Nations released a new panel of experts (POE) report on 5 September under Security Council Resolution 2345, which explored North Korean missile developments …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2017: UK soldier modernisation marches on

  5th September 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to advance its soldier modernisation initiatives including plans to introduce a lighter ballistic plate for dismounted troops by …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: Leonardo predicts unmanned rotary dominance

  13th September 2017

  Leonardo is well into Phase 2 of its Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System (RWAS) capability concept demonstrator (CCD) for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Saab launches new mortar ammunition

  13th September 2017

  Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland (SBDS), a subsidiary of Saab, has launched a new 120mm mortar ammunition at DSEI this year. Known as 'Thor', the mortar features …

• Training

  Cubic to develop combat training centres

  8th September 2017

  Cubic Global Defense has received a contract worth more than $25 million from an undisclosed customer in the Asia-Pacific region for the delivery of three …

• Defence Helicopter

  Z-19 sprouts radar and set to achieve exports

  15th September 2017

  For the first time the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) publicly exhibited an example of its Z-19 attack helicopter fitted with a mast-mounted millimeter wave radar, …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Royal Navy seeks 'transformative' technologies

  13th September 2017

  As the armed services increasingly recognise the need to keep pace with technological developments in the public sector, Adm Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Patria’s containerised mortar system demo'd

  6th September 2017

  Patria’s New Mortar (Nemo) Container has successfully completed its first test firings on a truck platform.  Announced on 1 September, the technology had been through …

• Land Warfare

  USMC selects Optics 1’s I-CUGR

  5th September 2017

  Safran company Optics 1’s Integrated Compact Ultralight Gun-mounted Rangefinder (I-CUGR) has been selected by the US Marine Corps (USMC) for its Sniper Range Finder (SRF) …

• Training

  L-15 trainer advances worldwide

  13th September 2017

  The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is now operating the tandem-seat JL-10 trainer, which is also known as the L-15 Falcon under its export nomenclature, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Final THAAD elements reach Korea

  11th September 2017

  The US Army delivered the final elements of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to South Korea on 7 September, completing a rapid …

• Land Warfare

  MSPO 2017: Shoulder-launched weapons ready to fire

  6th September 2017

  With the Polish Army still utilising a sizeable stock of legacy rocket-propelled grenades (RPG-7s) that are diminishing in capability, there is now a search underway …

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Argyll fires Sea Ceptor

  6th September 2017

  The Royal Navy's new Sea Ceptor air missile defence system has been fired from Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll for the first time in successful …

• Special Operations

  Navy SEALs to use UAVs for training

  11th September 2017

  The Navy Special Warfare Basic Training Command (NSWBTC) SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) Land Warfare Team has released plans to use vertical take-off/landing (VTOL) UAVs to …

• Land Warfare

  MSPO 2017: Tank killing Rosomaks unveiled

  6th September 2017

  Two new prototype variants of the Polish Army’s Rosomak vehicle are on display at this year’s MSPO, with both demonstrating a potential future requirement from …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | RangeHawk (RQ-4 Global Hawk) [US]

  Northrop Grumman received a US$325.5 million US Army contract in May 2026 to develop and acquire the RangeHawk HALE UAV, a modified RQ-4 Global Hawk designed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | RangeHawk (RQ-4 Global Hawk) [US]

  Northrop Grumman received a US$325.5 million US Army contract in May 2026 to develop and acquire the RangeHawk HALE UAV, a modified RQ-4 Global Hawk designed ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RangeHawk (RQ-4 Global Hawk) [US]

  Background Contract award Northrop Grumman announced in May 2026 that it had secured a $325.5 million contract from the US Army to develop the RangeHawk ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Chu-SAM [Japan]

  Background Japan is procuring upgraded Type 03 Chu-SAM Kai air defence systems to strengthen its capability against ballistic and hypersonic threats. The systems meet Japan's ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Arrow 4 [Israel]

  Background As early as 2017, development work on what would become Arrow 4 was announced by Israel’s MAFAT Defense Research and Development Authority. MAFAT worked with ...

• Destroyers

  Type 83 Future Air Defence System (FADS) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Daring-class (Type 45) consists of six ships, although the original plan was to have 12 destroyers. This was cut to eight in ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Destroyers

  Future Destroyers - ASEV (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements Following the Maya-class destroyers, the JMSDF will not just maintain the destroyer units they operate already but will receive two new destroyer platforms. ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  R400 Slinger [Australia]

  Background The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) announced Mission Syracuse in May 2025, which is planned to support the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) counter-small uncrewed ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang [South Korea]

  Background South Korea will produce the Laser-Based Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I (Cheongwang) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The laser weapons will be deployed and ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  SAN C-UAS [Poland]

  Background In January 2026, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and its Polish partner Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) signed a contract with the Polish Armaments Agency for the delivery ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M (Serbia)

  Serbia's aircraft will be equipped with a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection as well as an electronic countermeasures system. The ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  L-39NG Senegal

  The aircraft will feature five hard-points, two external fuel tanks with 350 lt capacity, Mk 81 and Mk 82 bombs, guided and unguided rockets, single ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System (L-MADIS) supports deployed Marine Expeditionary Units with non-kinetic C-UAS capabilities and a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon for ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (Batch 2) [Slovenia]

  Programme Background  Slovenia began its procurement of Oshkosh Defence's JLTV 4x4 armoured vehicle in 2018, although a US government FMS contract was not signed until ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles

  Brahmos II

  The BrahMos-II is the hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile family currently under joint development by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's ...

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

  SM-6 Block IB

  The SM-6 Block IB is an advanced iteration of the Standard Missile series, designed to enhance US Navy missile defence capabilities. Slated to be operational ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Megawatt-Scale LDEW (nLIGHT)

  nLIGHT's megawatt-scale laser weapon is currently under development as a part of the United States High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI). The high-energy laser (HEL) has ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  SkySonic

  The SkySonic is an advanced hypersonic missile interceptor developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Unveiled in June 2023, it is designed to counter the ...

• Anti-ship missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  3M22 Zircon

  The 3M22 Zircon, developed by Russia, is a hypersonic cruise missile representing a significant technological milestone in missile design and capability. According to the information ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Mako

  Mako is an air-launched hypersonic missile developed by Lockheed Martin in collaboration with CoAspire. The missile was unveiled to the public for the first time ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Sea Giraffe 4A Fixed Face (FF)

  The Sea Giraffe 4A FF (Fixed Face) is the fixed panel radar version of the Sea Giraffe 4A rotating radar. The system is produced by ...

• Data links

  P1350

  P1350 are airborne-qualified IP data links that can operate at hypersonic speeds. Produced by BERTEN DSP, it provides ruggedised, low-SWaP tactical communications in electronic warfare environments. 

• Data links

  P4700

  The P4700 is an airborne-qualified IP data link produced by BERTEN. Suitable for hypersonic and high-attitude applications, it can be integrated into various platforms, including ...

• Data links

  P6000

  BERTEN P6000 are defence-grade IP data links that provide a light, compact, robust, and affordable solution for airborne, maritime, and ground communications.

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Aster 30 B1 NT

  The Aster 30 B1NT (Block 1 New Technology) is a surface-to-air missile developed by MBDA as the latest addition to the Aster missile family. With ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  NavStorm-M

  BAE Systems' NavStorm-M is a gun-hardened, integrated anti-jamming and Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for artillery rounds, bombs, missiles, and uncrewed systems. It was revealed ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  SPY-6(V)4

  The SPY-6(V)4 Air and Missile Defence Radar is a surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. It is designed to defend against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile Block III (M-SAM III)

  The Surface-to-Air Missile Block III (M-SAM Block III) is an advanced iteration of South Korea's medium-range air defence system. It is designed to enhance interception ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MD-22

  The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the near-space hypersonic technology testbed MD-22 at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2022. Capable of speeds of Mach 7, the ...