• Naval Warfare

  Last Astute-class submarine renamed HMS Achilles

  27th January 2025

  The submarine was due to be named HMS Agincourt, but will now follow HMS Agamemnon's lead, being named after a warrior from the Iliad.

• Air Warfare

  Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile USAF contract expanded to $208 million

  27th January 2025

  The US$70 million modification to the existing joint strike missile contract has definitised it, covering support, containers and test hardware for the missiles’ use on the USAF’s F-35 aircraft.

• Defence Notes

  Brazil’s proposed $23.7 billion defence budget targets GDP-linked military funding

  24th September 2024

  Brazil’s 2025 budget proposals will see a 5.9% increase in defence spending, with funds allocated for key programmes including the procurement of helicopters, armoured vehicles and nuclear-powered submarines, despite looming fiscal challenges.

• Air Warfare

  UK Royal Navy Wildcat fires Sea Venom anti-ship missile

  9th October 2024

  The Wildcat is fitted with .50cal gun and carries Stingray torpedoes and Marlet lightweight missiles. Sea Venom substantially boosts the platform’s punch.

• Air Warfare

  British Army to explore CUAS options to combat Class 1 drones

  25th March 2025

  Named Project Vanaheim, the joint project will be run by the British and US armies and is the ‘first wave’ in a substantial programme of work to update both armed forces’ CUAS capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Mayman Aerospace’s RAZOR drone completes first round of test flights

  27th September 2024

  The successful test flights of RAZOR were undertaken at a military base in southern California, where seven autonomous mission sets were completed. Additional test flights have been scheduled for later this year.

• Training

  How terrain management capabilities can improve military training

  11th December 2024

  This type of tool provides more realistic training easing the incorporation of new scenarios that accurately represent the threats of the battlefield.

• Naval Warfare

  Maritime power trio announce modular launching system at Euronaval

  7th November 2024

  Three experienced arms manufacturers have united to create a potential superlauncher.

• Air Warfare

  Japan approved for $3.6 billion AMRAAM purchase

  3rd January 2025

  The request is for up to 1,200 Raytheon (RTX) AIM-120 (D-3/C-8) Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), along with ancillary equipment and services.

• Air Warfare

  First German P-8 flies and upgrade of first aircraft for USN completed

  28th February 2025

  The P-8 Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is based on the Boeing 737NG airliner. It has been ordered by several countries, including Germany, and US Navy (USN) P-8s are being upgraded.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon to develop Next-Gen Jammer upgrade for US navy under $192million deal

  2nd October 2024

  The development of the Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band system and its expansion upgrade will be a joint effort between the Royal Australian Air Force and US Navy to meet emerging electronic warfare threats.

• Naval Warfare

  Houthis intensify attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

  17th June 2024

  The rebel group has been using uncrewed surface vessels, UAVs and missiles to target ships.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing CEO notes “confidence” in defence arm despite 20% Q4 revenue loss

  30th January 2025

  Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg indicated ongoing improvements were being made in its defence programmes going forwards, despite being affected in Q4 by cost pressures, higher manufacturing costs and the impact of the IAM strike.

• Air Warfare

  Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 ditching kills one crew member

  5th September 2024

  A ditching is a deliberate emergency landing on water, not a crash.

• Naval Warfare

  Austal USA starts work on first of 11 Heritage-class OPCs

  30th August 2024

  The company was awarded a US$3.3 billion contract to construct 11 OPCs for the US Coast Guard in June 2022.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Frigates

  Constellation Class - FFG(X) (1-10)

  Programme Background The FFG (X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with a ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Tier 2 Frigates Procurement [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Tier 2 Frigates Procurement [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Project SEA 3000 [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Project SEA 3000 [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3) [Belgium]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3) [Belgium]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Luleå Class [Sweden]

  According to the Swedish Defence White Paper for the 2021-2025 period, the Navy will need to replace the existing two ageing Gävle-class corvettes with new surface ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Luleå Class [Sweden]

  According to the Swedish Defence White Paper for the 2021-2025 period, the Navy will need to replace the existing two ageing Gävle-class corvettes with new surface ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Maritime Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background October 2024 In October 2024, the UK Government announced £120 million ($152 million) of funding for Ukraine’s Navy and maritime capabilities, which will fund uncrewed surface ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3) [Netherlands]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3) [Netherlands]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3-4) [Netherlands]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Ship-launched torpedoes

  UMGT-1 torpedo

  The UMGT-1 is a Soviet-designed universal small-sized homing torpedo with a 400 mm caliber, developed for engaging both surface ships and submarines. Its compact size ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Ghost

  Developed to be versatile, Ghost is a manoeuvrable, rotary-wing mini-UAV designed for performing ISR missions in urban warfare, observation stakeout missions and covert special operations ...

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

  Loki

  Loki is a Ukrainian mini fixed-wing drone designed by the National Association of Ukrainian Defence Industries (NAUDI). The drone is launched from a pneumatic launcher ...

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

  Thor

  Thor is a Ukrainian fixed-wing small drone manufactured by the National Association of Ukrainian Defence Industries (NAUDI). Powered by a lithium polymer or lithium-ion battery, ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  SCOMBA

  SCOMBA is a combat management system developed by Navantia for the Spanish Navy. It has been in service with the Spanish Navy since 2010 across ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

• Sea: procedural training

  IMAT

  DAS supports the development and deployment of the Interactive Multisensor Analysis Training (IMAT) system for the US Navy, used at navy schoolhouse and training centres, ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Sea Giraffe 4A

  The Sea Giraffe 4A is a medium-to-long-range surveillance radar produced by Swedish manufacturer Saab. The radar is designed to provide automatic and simultaneous air and ...

• Military - USVs

  Marlin

  Marlin is a Turkish uncrewed surface vessel (USV) equipped with electronic warfare and other equipment that has been used on exercises with the Turkish Navy.

• EO/IR systems, Sea: ship surveillance and fire control systems

  SeaFLIR 380-HD

  The SeaFLIR 380-HD is a long-range, multispectral surveillance system for surface vessels. Manufactured by Teledyne FLIR, the system combines HD IR, colour or SWIR spectral information. According to ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-47

  President Donald Trump announced that the F-47 is the next American fighter. The programme, which started in 2014, is part of the U.S. Air Force's Next ...

• Military - USVs

  Sentinel - Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT)

  Sentinel is an autonomous uncrewed surface vessel (USV) built from the decommissioned HMAS Maitland , a former Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Armidale-class Patrol Boat.

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Later Increment Waveforms

  A number of waveforms are scheduled for implementation in later JTRS increments: WNW with low probability of intercept/detection and bandwidth-efficient advanced modulation; SRW with LPI/LPD; ...

• Sea: procedural training

  SEWTT

  The Surface Electronic Warfare Team Trainer (SEWTT) is a software application developed by EWA GSI as a next-generation tactical training application for US Navy surface ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Surface Scout

  The Surface Scout is a two-dimensional, medium-range naval surveillance radar manufactured by Thales Netherlands. The radar is designed to automatically detect and track small surface objects in heavy ...