• Defence Notes

  US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025

  12th March 2024

  The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.

• Air Warfare

  Glimpses emerge of new Chinese heavy attack helicopter

  8th April 2024

  Recent images surfacing on the internet have revealed the People’s Liberation Army (PLA’s) Z-21 heavy attack helicopter undergoing flight tests.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy to invest $3 billion in UAS and C-UAS capabilities

  30th July 2024

  UAS and C-UAS funding for the US Navy in FY2025 will cover R&D and procurement programmes along with improvements to the branch’s current inventory.

• Naval Warfare

  Turkish Navy looks to advance maritime power with 2024 fleet expansion

  22nd January 2024

  Turkish Navy has ambitious plans to expand and modernize its fleet with new warships, submarines, drones and missiles in 2024.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia orders Mk 45 naval guns for Hunter-class frigates

  9th January 2024

  Australia has ordered nine Hunter-class frigates to replace Anzac-class frigates under the A$35 billion (US$22.7 billion) Sea 5000 programme.

• Defence Notes

  US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap

  26th March 2024

  The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.

• Air Warfare

  UK GCAP fighter effort can only survive if more funds are allocated, expert warns

  7th March 2024

  The urgency to address chronic issues of cost overruns and delays in UK defence procurement, particularly in complex and important initiatives like the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), have underscored the need for upfront honesty about project costs.

• Air Warfare

  India could buy nearly 100 new Tejas fighters in biggest ever domestic order

  23rd April 2024

  This procurement would form part of the Indian Air Force’s plan to retire its fleet of MiG-21 fighters and replace them with the indigenous LCA Tejas Mk1As by 2025.

• Land Warfare

  How drone interoperability could impact NATO readiness

  16th May 2024

  NATO member states have been building and procuring diverse UAVs making integration across the alliance a challenge.

• Naval Warfare

  Planning begins for Harry S Truman overhaul and refuelling

  29th January 2024

  A total of 10 Nimitz-class were built by Newport New Shipbuilding with the last one entering service in January 2009. The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) entered service in 1998 with an out-of-service date of the early 2060s.

• Special Operations

  JFD showcases Shadow Seal TDV at SOF Week, eyes US market expansion

  3rd May 2024

  At SOF Week, James Fisher Defence presents its innovative Shadow Seal TDV, designed to offer special operations forces advanced capabilities with extended range and versatile deployment options from submarines to surface operations.

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA to provide Sea Ceptor naval defence systems for Polish Miecznik-class frigates

  15th January 2024

  The Miecznik (Swordfish) programme, a multi-role frigate project for the Polish Navy, was first reported in 2014 as a multi-role coastal patrol vessel.

• Naval Warfare

  Ecuador turns to local shipyard and international suppliers for military platforms

  15th February 2024

  As Ecuador attempts to combat so-called “terrorist networks”, the country has turned to the US and Turkey for equipment, while domestic construction and acquisition of new naval platforms has remained a slow process.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems to upgrade Mk 45 control systems on Anzac-class frigates

  9th January 2024

  BAE Systems has been refreshing the Mk 45 guns on the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates for more than a decade and a new contract will take it to Mod 4 standard.

• Naval Warfare

  World Defense Show 2024: First NiDAR CUAS set for combat ships

  6th February 2024

  NiDAR has already been operational on M/V Asterix, a naval auxiliary ship to the Royal Canadian Navy, marking the first time the system was put to use on a NATO-associated vessel.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 792-SSN 811)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus) [Spain]

  Programme Background The S-80A SSK design for the Spanish Navy is based on the Franco-Spanish S-80 Scorpene design that both countries decided to cooperate on ...

• Military UAS - mini

  ECAC/2022/199 (South Africa)

  Programma Background Two Tenders In March 2023, DefenceWeb reported that the South African Army's tender ECAC/2022/154 was put on hold because bidders did not meet critical ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER -Canada

  Programme Background Canadian Special Forces was looking to procure ISR aircraft to support their missions both overseas and domestically.  There were few Canadian suppliers to sell ...

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

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Programme Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challange The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Underwater Launched UAV (ULUAV) (India)

  Programme Background MoU At the Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 event in New Delhi, two private-sector Indian defence firms, the Bangalore-based UAS developer NewSpace Research and Technologies ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | TF-2000 Class-Milgem Project [Turkey]

  The Milgem project for the Turkish Navy was to consist of four Ada-class corvettes, four TF-100-class frigates and four TF-2000-class destroyers. The TF-2000 Air Defence ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 18

  The Type 18 periscope was designed to provide USN Los Angeles- and Seawolf-class submarines with a broad spectrum of optical, EO, RF intercept and targeting ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 8 Mod 3

  The Type 8 Mod 3 is an updated version of the Type 8-series periscopes. The Type 8B/J Mod 3 provides extremely high-frequency low-data-rate communications capability ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Los Angeles Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) have been the mainstay of the US sub-surface fleet since the 1970s. Known as the ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Optronic masts and periscopes

  The company’s MWIR imagers have been selected to provide new thermal imaging modules for the non-hull-penetrating Model 90 Universal Modular (optronic) masts for USN Virginia-class ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Seawolf Class

  The Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) was developed to follow the Los Angeles-class submarines as a faster and more substantially armed replacement. General Dynamics Electric ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class

  The USN’s Virginia-class SSNs are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats are replacing the old Los Angeles-class ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  AN/BYG-1

  The AN/BYG-1 is a submarine command and control system designed for analysing and tracking ship contacts, providing situational awareness and weapons employment. The system adheres ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Archer

  The Archer is an FPV-style loitering munition from Neros. Certified by BlueUAS, the drone is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, Californa.  In February 2025, 6,000 ...

• Sea: tactical training

  688(I) Hunter Killer

  The 688(I) Hunter Killer was developed by Sonalysts, released in 1997 and published by Electronic Arts. In this platform-level game, the player takes command of ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Shang Class (Type 093)

  China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) class of six Type 093 Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) are the service’s first real deployable SSN force. The ...

• Model 326 Enhanced Fire Attack

  The Model 326 Enhanced belly tank/refill hose system holds 20% more water than the original Model 326, and is approved to fly at speeds up ...

• Major networking projects

  WGS

  Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites are elements of a high-capacity system. WGS supports the US DoD’s warfighting information exchange requirements, enabling execution of tactical C4ISR, ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast Programme

  The AN/BVS-1 is the sensor mast system for USN Virginia-class attack submarines, the first of which entered service in 2004. It is the first class ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  OMS 100

  The OMS 100 is a non-hull-penetrating optronic mast designed to offer shipbuilders more freedom in positioning the operations centre. A rotating sensor head is housed ...

• Data links

  MPDL

  The Multi-Payload Data Link (MPDL) is a system for airborne applications. It is based on the TMA 6000 series. The main applications are broadband LoS ...