• Defence Helicopter

  French Navy H160s to include Safran EO system

  9th September 2020

  The Euroflir 410 EO system from Safran Electronics & Defense will equip Airbus H160 helicopters operated by the French Navy. Babcock France selected the Euroflir system …

• Naval Warfare

  Type 31 programme moves into Whole Ship Engineering phase

  20th August 2020

  With the completion of the Whole Ship Preliminary Design Review (WSPDR) for the UK’s Type 31 frigate in June, programme lead Babcock is now transitioning …

• Naval Warfare

  Russia splashes the cash on corvettes and frigates

  10th September 2020

  A series of major contracts for the Russian Navy were signed in late August during the Army 2020 exhibition near Moscow. Two diesel-electric submarines (one …

• Digital Battlespace

  USN to test MS-177A long-range imaging sensor

  16th September 2020

  Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $19.9 million contract by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), to build and provide a MS-177A long-range multi-spectral imaging …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thai air force launches first satellite

  7th September 2020

  NAPA-1, the first security satellite for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), was successfully launched into space on 3 September. An Arianespace Vega rocket, Flight …

• Military Logistics

  RAN logistics vessel passes sea trials

  26th August 2020

  The first of two Supply-class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) vessels for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has completed sea acceptance trials in Spain, before a …

• Defence Notes

  Concerns raised over UK F-35 operational balance

  16th September 2020

  Defence analysts have questioned whether the UK F-35 programme can be built up to readily support a broad range of air, land and sea-based missions. …

• Naval Warfare

  Kormoran II MCM vessels to include Kraken equipment

  9th September 2020

  Kraken Robotics is to provide mine-hunting systems to the Polish Navy, in the form of its Katfish towed synthetic aperture sonar system, Tentacle winch and Autonomous …

• Air Warfare

  RCAF to resume Romanian airspace policing mission

  4th September 2020

  Fighter pilots in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) are set to begin another enhanced air policing mission on 5 September under Operation Reassurance in Romania. …

• Training

  Kavkaz-2020 exercise will involve Belarus

  11th September 2020

  Belarusian troops will join a major Russian military exercise to be held in late September. Russian Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen Alexander Fomin (pictured) told …

• Training

  Historical parallels suggest benefits of cost-effective training realism

  18th September 2020

  The recent virtual US Army Maneuver Warfighter Conference, hosted by the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning in Georgia, featured an eclectic presentation from …

• Naval Warfare

  Underwater threat attracts Israeli attention

  3rd September 2020

  Israel is intent on developing and procuring new technologies to counter underwater threats to its vessels, merchant ships and natural gas infrastructure in the Mediterranean. …

• Military Logistics

  Netherlands overhauls its military construction vehicle fleet

  3rd September 2020

  Engineers in the Royal Netherlands Army are receiving a range of new construction vehicles and trailers, the Dutch MoD declared in a 2 September statement. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Taiwan to search overseas for frigate radars

  18th September 2020

  According to Taiwanese media reports, the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) has approached both Raytheon and Thales for shipborne AESA radars for its future guided-missile …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USN places another Defender ROV order

  4th September 2020

  VideoRay has obtained another multimillion-dollar order for Defender systems under an existing $49 million contract to deliver the Next Generation ROV for the USN. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) As the Royal Navy stated in 2022, Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) are “interchangeable modules that can be fitted to ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Deployment On 7 April 2025, the Royal Navy announced that, for the first time, nine T-150 drones would be operated from the HMS Prince ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lanza 3D Radar [Thailand]

  Background Thailand is procuring the LANZA 3D radar to strengthen surveillance and protection of Sattahip Naval Base. The radar will be deployed by the Royal ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Background Tender notice and timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (UK)

  Programme Background Testing The Royal Navy announced in October 2020 that the Puma was undergoing its first operational testing on HMS Albion's autumn deployment to ...

• Frigates

  Hamilton Class Cutter [Bahrain]

  Background Very little has been said about the transfer of an ex-Hamilton-class cutter to Bahrain, but it is one of the final two to leave ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved' Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020. The contract ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (7-8) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Boraida Class replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Navy urges the replacement of three Boraida-class minehunters. Based on the Durance-class design, the ships entered service in the mid-1980s ...

• Minehunters

  Lat Ya Class Replacement Programme [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) currently operates two Lat Ya-class minehunters, commissioned in the late 1990s. The units are based on the ...

• Frigates

  Air Defence Frigates Procurement [Denmark]

  Background Requirements After focusing on the procurement of new highly capable patrol ships and new Arctic frigates as a replacement for the Thetis-class, Shephard had initially estimated ...

• Frigates

  Karel Dorman Class (Chile)

  Programme Background  Chile currently operates two ex-Karel Doorman-class frigates which were sold in 2004. The Royal Netherlands Navy are in the process of replacing the ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat aircraft, specifically the V-Bat 400, to enhance the maritime ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Malaysian Navy are in the process of a fleet transformation plan known as the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XV Excalibur

  XV Excalibur is an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) built by UK-based MSubs, in conjunction with the Royal Navy. It is an experimental vessel ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class (Type 26)

  The Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy are based on the Type 26 design. The ships are set to replace the Anzac-class under the ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  Ceros 200

  The Ceros 200 is a radar and optronic tracking system designed for use on naval vessels. When interfaced with modern missile or gun systems, it ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Royal Danish Navy MH-60R MOFT

  In January 2014, CAE was awarded an FMS contract by the USN to develop an MH-60R mission operational flight trainer (MOFT) for the Royal Danish ...

• Frigates

  Naresuan Class

  The Naresuan-class guided-missile frigates are a modified variant of the Chinese-built Type 053 frigate. The two ships-in-class were built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation ...

• Destroyers

  River Class (Type 26)

  The Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate has been designed for the UK Royal Navy, but with an emphasis on export. Both the Royal Canadian Navy ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-7(V)1

  The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is a solid-state naval surveillance radar produced and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The system is expected to be fully integrated into programmes for ...

• Frigates

  Jacob Van Heemskerck Class

  The Jacob van Heemskerck class frigates were ex-Royal Netherlands Navy frigates that also served under the Chilean Navy, also known as the Latorre-class. Two anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Walrus

  The Walrus is a mini rotary-wing UAV manufactured by the Royal Navy's 700X Naval Air Squadron.  As stressed during the December 2022 announcement, Walrus has been ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  RD-170BT

  The RD-170BT is a man-portable surveillance radar deployed ashore to protect moored patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. 

• Minehunters

  Sandown Class

  The Sandown class vessels are coastal minehunters and OPVs in service with the UK Royal Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces as the Al Jawf class. Additionally, ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Frigates

  Type 22 (Batch 1)

  The Type 22 frigates were previously the Broadsword-class in service with the UK's Royal Navy. The vessels were built in three batches, with the first ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...