• Training

  Ensuring cyber security and information assurance within organisations (sponsored)

  26th October 2022

  CDS Defence & Security provides a stepping stone approach to helping companies understand and implement the necessary cyber security requirements in the defence sector.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force orders JASSM-ER conversions

  8th August 2022

  Lockheed Martin is to convert AGM-158B JASSM-ER missiles to aid test and simulation activities by the USAF.

• Naval Warfare

  M134D adds firepower to Kraken craft

  14th September 2022

  The Dillon Aero M134D Minigun is a ‘true force multiplier’, says K50 vessel manufacturer Kraken Technology Group.

• Air Warfare

  France and UK eye mutual benefits from potential RAF secondments

  18th August 2022

  Could the RAF transfer crews from soon-to-be-retired platforms to France in a new example of cross-Channel collaboration?

• Air Warfare

  India’s Su-30MKI upgrade is hampered by sanctions against Russia

  14th July 2022

  India's armed forces are heavily reliant on Russia for equipment, but the latter's invasion of Ukraine is having knock-on effects for India's Su-30 fighters.

• Land Warfare

  UK joins allies in providing air defence capability to Ukraine

  14th October 2022

  New air-to-air and surface-to-air systems pledged to Ukraine by the West will help to protect its key cities and infrastructure, but Kyiv will need more to be fully protected from the ongoing missile attacks, expert says.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy modifies Advanced Hawkeye cockpit redesign contract

  14th October 2022

  Northrop Grumman to provide non-recurring engineering services for E-2D cockpit redesign programme.

• Land Warfare

  NATO members and Finland to embark on European Sky Shield Initiative

  14th October 2022

  The European Sky Shield Initiative would allow all participating nations to jointly develop an air and missile defence system using interoperable solutions.

• Training

  Congressional speakers highlight Chinese threat at I/ITSEC 2022

  28th November 2022

  The US Congressional Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Caucus kicked off I/ITSEC 2022 with a picture of a clear and present threat from China.

• Land Warfare

  Beretta Holding acquires RUAG Ammotec

  2nd August 2022

  Beretta Holding will take over all business activities, all 2,700 employees as well as the production and sales sites of the small-calibre ammunition division of RUAG International.

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy tests SLBM as part of nuclear triad

  13th November 2022

  India has two new indigenously designed SSBNs in build, while its in-service INS Arihant recently test-fired a ballistic missile.

• Digital Battlespace

  infiniDome unveils latest iteration of anti-jamming technology for drones

  24th October 2022

  Israeli company infiniDome has released a new anti-jamming system for GPS-guided platforms. GPSdome 2 is a small-form-factor device intended for use on small/medium UAS and loitering munitions.

• Air Warfare

  Moog selected to support US Armed Overwatch programme

  18th October 2022

  Moog will provide its weapon stores management system for all 75 aircraft delivered under the US Armed Overwatch Programme.

• Training

  Crowded spectrum and operational security pose major challenges for US electronic warfare training

  15th November 2022

  Senior US commanders are restricted in their ability to train as they fight as the training task becomes more complex and the ability to use key equipment on exercises is limited by operational security.

• Naval Warfare

  RNZN’s second frigate returns after prolonged upgrade

  14th July 2022

  New Zealand's second frigate was out of commission for more than three years whilst undergoing an upgrade in Canada.

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 ...