• Defence Notes

  Surface Navy: Lockheed Martin highlights LRASM growth

  12th January 2017

  Lockheed Martin has moved to highlight the expanded applications of its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) at this week’s Surface Navy Association National Symposium. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Vanilla Aircraft UAV sets record

  9th January 2017

  The VA001 UAS has set a long-endurance record for combustion-powered UAS in the 50-500kg (Group 1) class, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Surface Navy: US Navy looks to enhanced laser weapons

  11th January 2017

  The US Navy is hoping to accelerate the introduction of new laser weapon systems aboard its surface fleet. The rough plan for the introduction was …

• Naval Warfare

  UDT Asia: China to upgrade undersea sensors

  11th January 2017

  China is believed to be expanding an underwater sensor network, which was established beginning from October 2014, in the Western Pacific to better suit its …

• Defence Helicopter

  The year ahead: The Asia-Pacific region

  5th January 2017

  Within the Asia-Pacific region the year just passed was pretty much dominated by the machinations of one country – China – and there is little …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  China seizes, returns USN glider

  20th December 2016

  On 20 December China quietly returned the US Navy's UUV that it had brazenly seized five days earlier in the South China Sea. The platform …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy wants Autonomy in a Box

  28th December 2016

  The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) has developed a new ‘Autonomy in a Box’ system designed to dramatically reduce the level …

• Digital Battlespace

  Vencore Labs announces DARPA contract

  21st December 2016

  Vencore will work on the third and final phase of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Wireless Network Defense (WND) programme under a …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA awards cyber contracts to Raytheon

  8th December 2016

  Raytheon will work on developing technologies to tackle cyber attacks on US power grid infrastructure under a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ACTUV demonstrator continues testing

  2nd December 2016

  Leidos is set to begin operational testing of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) technology demonstration vessel. The company is developing the 132ft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman details Tern progress

  2nd December 2016

  Northrop Grumman has cleared two milestones for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) programme, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems to continue ARC work

  4th November 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded a $13.3 million contract modification from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to extend work on its Adaptive Radar …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUV A9-M surveys seabed for mines

  4th November 2016

  ECA Group's A9-M autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has successfully demonstrated its ability to remotely survey the seabed for mines from the Belgian Navy's Pollux coastal …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Industry splurge on new drones, payloads

  3rd November 2016

  The drone industry revealed a series of new platforms and payloads at the recent Commercial UAV Expo, held in Las Vegas from 31 October to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA's ACTUV sails with TALONS

  26th October 2016

  DARPA's Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) has sailed with a prototype sensor mast developed under its Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

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

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Programme 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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.

• 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 ...

• 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.