• Naval Warfare

  Can the US build three destroyers a year?

  13th January 2023

  In the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the US funded procurement of three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers a year, but can industry achieve that goal?

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Iranian UAV transfers expose depletion of Russian arms

  21st September 2022

  A defence analyst claims that Russia's move to acquire and deploy Iranian UAV's in Ukraine tells of wider weapons supply issues and a depletion of stocks.

• Air Warfare

  TAI confirms Hürkuş-C deliveries to Niger and Chad

  2nd November 2022

  Turkish Aerospace Industries will deliver the Hürkuş-C to Niger and Chad in the coming months and the company is confident that more orders will come from African countries soon.

• Digital Battlespace

  How an IT giant is powering the digital transformation of global military organisations (Studio)

  8th December 2022

  While rapidly evolving technological trends promise to transform military operations, close collaboration with a trusted partner remains essential.

• Training

  Royal Air Force pilot training troubles not going away

  16th August 2022

  The issue around the Royal Air Force’s fast jet pilot training is multifaceted with no quick fixes at hand. What is the UK not getting right?

• Digital Battlespace

  Collins Aerospace to modernise HF radio comms network for US Air Force

  1st September 2022

  The USAF has picked Collins Aerospace to provide the next generation of the High Frequency Global Communications System.

• Training

  Inzpire reveals Royal Air Force door gunnery sim details

  3rd August 2022

  A new Synthetic Aviation Gunnery Equipment contract from the MoD will blend various commercial MR technologies to demonstrate a fully modular and deployable full helicopter door gunnery training for the RAF.

• Defence Notes

  Off-ramps for China? Sorry, that ship has sailed (Opinion)

  20th October 2022

  The US in particular has got itself into a difficult position because politicians and military leaders continually appeased China and the burgeoning PLA.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA/Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter goes pilotless for logistics and rescue missions

  7th November 2022

  Without pilots on board, the autonomous Black Hawk helicopter performed long-endurance medical resupply while navigating between mountain ranges.

• Naval Warfare

  France’s final FREMM frigate delivered

  21st November 2022

  The delivery of the frigate Lorraine marks the close of a decade of French FREMM deliveries.

• Naval Warfare

  Wisdom of Solomons? Shifting power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific

  5th September 2022

  While Pacific island nations may be small, including maritime zones, they constitute 15% of the world’s surface, and crucially they carry weight in international institutions such as the UN. Considering these factors, the Solomon Islands’ growing relationship with China is geopolitically significant.

• Digital Battlespace

  Jordan establishes Middle East's first drone and electronic warfare test range

  4th November 2022

  The Middle East’s first test site for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology and electronic warfare (EW) has been officially launched in Jordan.

• Land Warfare

  Brazilian Army adapts Urutu APC for urban warfare

  27th September 2022

  The Brazilian Army has upgraded mobility, mechanical and communications features of the Urutu APC to prepare the vehicle for deployment in towns and cities.

• Air Warfare

  India approves more capable LCA Mk2 fighter

  9th September 2022

  HAL will design and develop the ultimate version of the Tejas - the Mk2 - for the Indian Air Force.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall Lynx aims for more customers

  8th December 2022

  With production now under way for launch customer Hungary, Rheinmetall is targeting a number of new market opportunities for its Lynx infantry fighting vehicle, including requirements in Greece and Italy.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Programme Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Loyal Wingman [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Programme Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Low-Cost Uncrewed Air Systems (LANCA) Follow-On Project [UK]

  Programme Background Project Mosquito Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began the ...

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  NGJ

  Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) was selected by the USN in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALQ-210

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/ALQ-210 is an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) outfitting the Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo naval support helicopter. The manufacturer’s official literature says that the product ...

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

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  BAE Systems’ commenced its work on the Australian Department of Defence’s Air-5416 Project Echidna initiative in 2001. The rationale of the programme was to overhaul ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon-XF

  Thales’ Vicon-XF is a countermeasure dispensing system which can equip an array of platforms, primarily large aircraft and rotorcraft, according to the manufacturer’s official literature. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  Initially, as a multirole system to escort crewed aircraft, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat has been reimagined as a proving platform. Its development began in 2013 and ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

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

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...