• 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) …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA’S TALONS tested on USS Zephyr

  18th August 2017

  DARPA's Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems (TALONS) prototype has been tested on board the US naval coastal patrol vessel USS Zephyr, DARPA announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Assured Autonomy programme launched

  18th August 2017

  DARPA has launched a new programme called Assured Autonomy that aims to advance and enhance the adoption of autonomous systems in safety-critical defence applications. The …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems to work on MOCCA programme

  20th July 2017

  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems a $4.6 million contract to develop technology to help submarines better detect other submerged vessels …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA completes phase one of FLA programme

  5th July 2017

  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has completed phase one of its Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) programme following a series of obstacle-course flight tests …

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 - UUVs

  Autonomous Ocean Drone [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Saab is delivering a Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LUUV) currently named the Autonomous Ocean Drone AOD) to the Swedish Navy. It is designed to employ underwater ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) (Group 1-3) [US]

  Background Concept In early February 2026, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) stated that it required the ability to rapidly deploy large quantities of UAS while minimising the ...

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

  LongShot [USA]

  Background Requirement As explained by GA-ASI in February 2026, LongShot is envisaged as an air-launched UAV that will fly from larger, mostly crewed aircraft and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  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 and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XLUUV [USN]

  Background Requirements According to the FY27-FY31 shipbuilding plan, the XLUUVs will be “pier-launched vessels with a modular design that can accommodate a variety of payloads”. They ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Arctic Security Cutters (7-11) [USCG]

  Background Requirements The Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) programme aims to increase the US presence and capability in the Arctic to counter Russian and Chinese influence ...

• Corvettes

  Continental Defence Corvette [Canada]

  Background Initial requirements Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Canada is seeking to procure an undisclosed number of small vessels (below 1000t). Part ...

• AEW&C

  AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement was initially reported in 2016 when it was noted as being part of a long-term development plan, however, reports from ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• 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 XRQ-73 designation places this aircraft in the experimental ...

• 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 ...

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

  X-68A

  The X-68A is a developmental, host-platform-agnostic air-launched effect (ALE). After developmental contracts were first awarded in 2021 under the LongShot programme, General Atomics (GA-ASI) emerged as the preferred supplier ...

• 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 - 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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Tiltrotors, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  X-76

  The X-76 is an operational crewed aircraft designed to combine the flexibility of a helicopter with the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.  Bell Textron is ...

• Military - UUVs

  BlueWhale

  BlueWhale (ELI-3325) is an autonomous uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Israel's Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is designed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Mine Countermeasures (MCM) and ...

• 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 UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

• 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.

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...