• Defence Notes

  Stark choices confront constrained UK (Opinion)

  30th August 2022

  Is the next Prime Minister capable of finding a solution for the crisis facing the UK, as the country grapples with a cost of living crisis and an economy entering a recession at the same time as Cold War levels of defence investment are needed?

• Naval Warfare

  Harland & Wolff to revamp ex-Royal Navy MCMV for Lithuania

  15th July 2022

  Harland & Wolff has won a £55 million ($65 million) contract to revamp the former RN MCMV HMS Quorn for the Lithuanian Navy at its Appledore shipyard.

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus confirms ‘door still open’ for Germany to join Tiger MkIII upgrade

  23rd September 2022

  Much has been said of Germany's indecision over the European Tiger MkIII attack helicopter programme, but an option to join the upgrade remains.

• Naval Warfare

  Euronaval 2022: Rohde & Schwarz launches new naval electronic support solution

  17th October 2022

  Undisclosed customers are already in place for an electronic support solution from Rohde & Schwarz.

• Defence Notes

  Rafael eyes US production of Ice Breaker

  3rd August 2022

  If Rafael can seal a production partnership in the US for Ice Breaker, Israel could use Foreign Military Financing to buy the missile rather than dipping into its own defence budget.

• Defence Notes

  US awards sonobuoy contracts worth up to $5.1 billion

  5th October 2022

  The US Navy has awarded contracts worth up to $5.1 billion for producing and delivering a range of sonobuoy types.

• Digital Battlespace

  UK injects £2.35 billion into Eurofighter ECRS Mk2 upgrade

  17th July 2022

  The Eurofighter Typhoon ECRS Mk2 upgrade has received a significant financial boost.

• Air Warfare

  US Army orders more Switchblades

  23rd September 2022

  A $20.6 million deal is the latest order from the US Army for Switchblades, dating back to 2011.

• Air Warfare

  Wedgetail takes part in first USAF-RAAF operational integration exercise

  27th May 2022

  The USAF tested the operational integration capabilities of the RAAF's E-7A Wedgetail during the recent Black Flag 22-1 exercise.

• Air Warfare

  Baykar completes initial integration run test of future uncrewed fighter jet

  20th September 2022

  Baykar Tech shared on Twitter a video of the trial with Bayraktar Kizilelma. The first flight of the system is scheduled to take place in 2023.

• Land Warfare

  Former Secretary of Defense claims US Army is in a ‘budget crunch’

  19th July 2022

  Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the US Army is being forced ‘to pay the bills’ for other services that did not reform themselves internally.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy looks for longer range and endurance to solve wide-area mission planning

  13th August 2022

  The US Navy is engaged in a number of efforts to identify rapid acquisition strategies for new maritime based aircraft and technologies, including wide area mission capable UAVs.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems envisages new build hall at Govan as first Type 26 nears launch

  30th August 2022

  With the first Royal Navy Type 26 frigate taking shape on the hardstand at BAE Systems' Govan shipyard in Glasgow, the company is looking to ensure the future of the site with a new shipbuilding hall.

• Air Warfare

  Compass Call set for initial EC-37B flight tests in January 2023

  23rd September 2022

  BAE Systems has completed final hardware component deliveries of its Compass Call airborne EW jammer for the new EC-37B aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy orders full-rate production support for Evolved Seasparrow Block 2

  3rd October 2022

  Latest ESSM Block 2 support contract covers SAM purchases for 11 navies.

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 ...