• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insight: European UAS industry approaches boom or bust tipping point

  9th April 2019

  As pressure mounts on European supranational agencies to follow through on repeated calls from industry to issue regulations befitting a new era of commercial unmanned …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2019: CH-47F Block II cancellation fears return

  16th April 2019

  The future of the CH-47F Block II programme is again in doubt, with Boeing admitting cancellation of the project remains a possibility. It was made …

• Land Warfare

  Centurion C-RAM will protect Taiwan’s key installations

  5th April 2019

  The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) proposes to order land-based Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS), known as the Centurion C-RAM, to protect key installations …

• Digital Battlespace

  RADA receives $6 million in new orders

  10th April 2019

  RADA Electronic Industries has received new orders totalling more than $6 million from new and existing customers, the company announced on 8 April. The orders …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Milipol Asia 2019: Fight fires with Chinese UAV

  2nd April 2019

  An innovative fire-fighting solution – a UAS that fires a fire-extinguishing round through the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers – was on show at the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment receives FMS contract for Puma AE

  5th April 2019

  AeroVironment has received a $17.4 million contract to provide its Puma AE II small UAS, training and support to an allied nation, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK invests in UAS swarm technology

  3rd April 2019

  The UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator has awarded a £2.5 million contract to a Blue Bear Systems Research-led consortium to develop UAS swarm technology. Acting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triumph components for MQ-25

  9th April 2019

  Triumph Group has received a contract from Boeing to supply hydraulic system components for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial refuelling programme, the company announced on 4 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment introduces 360 MSA for Puma AE

  8th April 2019

  AeroVironment has introduced a new 360 multi-sector antenna (MSA) for its Puma AE small unmanned aircraft system (UAS), the company announced on 3 April. Specifically …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  L3, Sonardyne introduce 6G-enabled AUVs

  1st April 2019

  L3 Technologies, together with Sonardyne, will offer 6G-enabled capability across its commercial autonomous vessel product range, the company announced on 26 March. L3’s C-Stat 2 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unifly launches Unifly BLIP device

  18th March 2019

  Unifly has launched a broadcast location and identity platform (BLIP), an e-Identification and tracking device for UAS. The device works independently with its own power …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Blue Bear opens 5G-enabled UAS test facility

  1st April 2019

  Blue Bear has opened its 5G-enabled beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight test facility in Bedfordshire, UK, the company announced on 26 March. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Russia receives sixth upgraded A-50U

  5th April 2019

  Rostec's Vega Concern and the Beriev Aircraft Company have supplied the sixth modernised A-50U airborne early warning and control (AEW&C;) aircraft to the Russian Air …

• Land Warfare

  India approves order for hundreds of T-90MS tanks

  16th April 2019

  The Cabinet Committee on Security in India approved the acquisition of 464 T-90MS MBTs from Russia in early April 2019.  The procurement for the Indian Army …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia’s Currawong project on track

  8th April 2019

  Release 3 of the Project Currawong integrated battlefield telecom network for the Australian Army, which will include ‘headquarters on the move’ carried in a Bushmaster, …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Directed energy weapons

  Project Dragonfire [UK]

  Background The UK Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been working with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ to develop a LASER Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) called ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability - Generation II – High-Power Microwave [US]

  Background In July 2025 Epirus received a US$43,551,060 contract from the US Army for two Generation II systems developed from the HPM (Leonidas). Previously, in ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High-Power Microwave [US]

  Background In May 2024, the US Army took delivery of four High-Powered Microwave (HPM) Directed-Energy Weapons (DEW) to fulfil its Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High-Power ...

• Military UAS - small

  Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an organic, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  U&C reconnaissance drones [US Army]

  Methodology PGO The programme has been assigned a PGO of 100%, as a contract has been awarded. Unit cost It has not been clarified what ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  C-UAS [Portugal]

  Background Portugal's Military Programming Law 2023–2034 includes $8.8724 million (€8.2 million) to acquire counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) by 2034. It is assumed that this acquisition requires ...

• Transport

  C-27J [Azerbaijan]

  Programme Background The Azerbaijani Air Force signed a contract with Leonardo in June 2023 to procure the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft. This move is ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Border C-UAS Defence [Latvia]

  Background Latvia's long-term blueprint for its armed forces lists a comprehensive C-UAS element with an approximate range of three to four km. This programme is ...

• CUAS - jammers

  NEROD RF [France]

  Background France has procured an unconfirmed number of MC2's NEROD RF C-UAS rifles ("fusils brouilleurs") for short-range counter-drone use. In a 2024 Senate report, it ...

• CUAS - jammers

  C-UAS [Taiwan]

  Background Taiwan announced a requirement for portable C-UAS systems with capabilities that include passive detection, takeover, spoofing and jamming. The systems are planned to strengthen ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Finnish Border Guard C-UAS Capability

  Background In response to the growing UAS threat, the Finnish Border Guard was given €44 million for procurements to strengthen drone detection, identification, and countering capabilities. ...

• CUAS - jammers

  C-UAS [Australia]

  Background The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is accelerating the acquisition of state-of-the-art counter-drone technologies through Project LAND 156. The ADF signed a contract with HighCom ...

• 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 ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  US SOF CUxS (Static) [US]

  Background The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is procuring a Family of Systems (FoS) design to defeat drones. The programme includes development, integration, prototyping, and test of ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  US SOF CUxS (Mounted) [US]

  Background The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is procuring a Family of Systems (FoS) design to defeat drones. The programme includes development, integration, prototyping, and test of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  MEHEL 2.0

  The Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser (MEHEL) is a C-UAS-capable vehicle that employs directed energy to neutralise targets. MEHEL 2.0 was first seen at AUSA 2016, ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Fractl:2

  Fractl:2, developed and manufactured by AIM Defence, is an Australian laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The high-powered portable system is Australia's first acquisition of a directed ...

• CUAS - jammers

  DroneDefender

  DroneDefender is a directed-energy UAS countermeasure that disrupts the adversary's control of the aircraft, neutralising it so that no remote action (including detonation) can occur, ...

• CUAS - jammers

  EJDERHA HPEM System

  The EJDERHA is a high power electromagnetic system manufactured by Aselsan. It generates high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and directs them to potential targets such as IEDs ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Apollo

  Apollo is a High-Energy Laser Weapon System manufactured by Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Apollo's laser utilises directed energy to disable or destroy aerial targets without ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SCATA Mk1

  The SCATA Mk1 is the first military vehicle developed by Finland's SCATA.

• Directed energy weapons

  Leonidas High-Powered Microwave DEW

  Leonardo's US-based subsidiary Epirus has received funding from both the US and Singapore to develop its Leonidas High-Powered Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW).

• Directed energy weapons

  GÖKBERK 10 Laser DEW

  Turkish company ASELSAN's GÖKBERK 10 laser directed-energy weapon (DEW) is designed to destroy cheap, class-I drones. The system is designed to work with other components ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Locust

  BlueHalo's Locust is a laser weapon system. The system delivers a complete kill chain, providing a layered and broadband detection capability that is coupled with electronic ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Minotaur

  Minotaur, developed by Soukos Robots, is a Greek laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). Minotaur is an anti-drone platform with the ability to shoot down unmanned ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  SkyRanger 30

  SkyRanger 30 is a mobile ground-based air defence (GBAD) laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system designed by Rheinmetall. The system comprises automatic cannons, guided missiles, and a ...

• OPVs

  PPA/MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) EVO

  The PPA/MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) EVO is an enhanced version of the Thaon di Revel-class PPAs unveiled at Euronaval 2024. The PPA/MPCS EVO retains the core platform ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Royal Thai Army Laser DEW

  Under Government instructions, the Royal Thai Army is developing a Laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) to counter drones in its border regions. The unit cost ...

• Directed energy weapons

  CROSSBOW MINI

  CROSSBOW MINI, developed by IPG Photonics, is a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). The LDEW has multiple deployable configurations and is a part of the manufacturers ...

• Directed energy weapons

  DIAL

  The Laser Weapon Instrumental Demonstrator (DIAL), in joint development with Indra and Escribano Mechanical Engineering, is a Spanish laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The system ...