• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ​ADEX 2017: IAI/Hankuk announce joint UAV venture

  18th October 2017

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Korea-based Hankuk Carbon signed an agreement establishing a new joint venture company, Korea Aviation Technologies (KAT), to be based in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ADEX 2017: Uconsystem and Firstec expand ranges

  19th October 2017

  Uconsystem, a South Korean manufacturer of UAVs, demonstrated a strong move into the commercial market at Seoul ADEX 2017 as it builds upon military sales …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Air Hopper demonstrated to IDF

  20th October 2017

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is continuing the development of its Air Hopper VTOL UAS platform, having recently completed a proof of concept demonstration to Israeli …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ADEX 2017: Korean Air promotes crewless aircraft

  17th October 2017

  Amongst its range of UAVs covering the tactical to strategic levels the Aerospace Business Division of Korean Air showed a new type known as the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Pacific 2017: Schiebel and Skeldar spar in Australia

  6th October 2017

  Australia is shaping up as a battleground for suppliers of rotary-winged UAVs as the country’s military eyes future acquisitions. Two top contenders are Schiebel and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aerosonde SUAS achieves milestone with Volz Servos

  25th September 2017

  Textron Systems’ Aerosonde Mk4.7 small UAS has achieved over 200,000 flight hours using Volz Servos’ DA 15-N actuators, it was announced on 20 September. Textron …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Army airs UAV ambitions

  9th October 2017

  The Australian Army laid out its road map for future UAVs at the Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney on 4 October. Lt Col Keirin …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Honeywell launches UAS inspection service

  11th September 2017

  Honeywell has launched its first commercial UAS inspection service under a collaboration with Intel, the company announced on 6 September.  The InView inspection service will …

• Special Operations

  DSEI 2017: USMC special ops look for new UAS

  14th September 2017

  The US Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) will be looking to trial a group two UAV in the near future, Shephard  has learnt. MARSOC …

• Special Operations

  Navy SEALs to use UAVs for training

  11th September 2017

  The Navy Special Warfare Basic Training Command (NSWBTC) SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) Land Warfare Team has released plans to use vertical take-off/landing (VTOL) UAVs to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First of many for Centrik software

  3rd August 2017

  Following the news that Martek Marine will utilise Total AOC's Centrik UAS mission management solution officials from the software firm say they will make a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Counter-UAS technology maturing

  27th July 2017

  In response to the SUAS threat from both state and non-state actors the defence and security market is continuing to push the proliferation of counter-UAV …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Russian Helicopters unveils VRT300

  21st July 2017

  The VRT300 is the latest VTOL drone to be unveiled by Russian Helicopters. It is developed by the company’s newly-established design department, VR-Technologies, it uses …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA, Naval Group partner to navalise T180 UAV

  3rd July 2017

  ECA Group has partnered with Naval Group to prepare its IT180 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for integration on ships, it was announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: EMSA signs off on UAS capabilities

  21st June 2017

  The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) was named in two deals this week for fixed-wing and VTOL unmanned systems that will be used to provide …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Aerosonde (Qatar)

  Programme Background The Qatar MoD has established the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center to carry out ISR missions for the Qatar Armed Forces. Among its roles ...

• Military UAS - small

  Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an organic, ...

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

  DEF129 (Small UAS Plus) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The army wanted up to 17 SUAS+ systems with a life of six years. The tender said the UAV would be issued ...

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

  Company Level Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (SUAS) Directed Requirement (DR) [US Army]

  Background Requirement The US Army approved the Co-Level SUAS DR acquisition in June 2023 to supply Brigade Combat Teams with an “immediate, commercially available capability” to meet ...

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

  DEF129 (Small UAS) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Australian Army identified a need for a small UAS to provide an organic ISR capability to units operating at the tactical ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Nightwarden (Qatar)

  Programme Background The Qatar MoD has established the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center to carry out ISR missions for the Qatar Armed Forces. Among its roles ...

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

  Scorpio 500 [US]

  Background Contract Award In December 2024, XTEND was awarded a US$8.8 million contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for its Scorpio 500. As reported by ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Medium Range Tactical (MRT) [USMC]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) In February 2026, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued an RFI for solutions for a Medium Range Tactical (MRT) ...

• Military UAS - mini

  X10D (Atlantic Diving Supply) [US Army]

  Background Atlantic Diving Supply (ADS) Skydio announced in March 2026 that the US Army had placed a $52 million order to acquire over 2,500 X10D ...

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

  VTOL-Capable Group 2 UAV [USA]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) In March 2026, the USAF issued an RFI seeking a VTOL-capable UAV capable of operating in austere environments to support ...

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

  Onboard Mini-Drone Systems (SMDM) (69-90) [France]

  Background Contract Announcement On 3 February 2026, Airbus, Survey Copter’s parent company, announced that the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) had ordered the Aliaca VTOL variant ...

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

  Camcopter S-300 [South Korea]

  Programme Background Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) On 18 January 2023, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Northop Grumman at a ...

• Military UAS - mini

  U&C reconnaissance drones [US Army]

  Methodology PGO The programme has been assigned a PGO of 100%, as a contract has been awarded. Unit cost It has not been clarified what ...

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

  Embarked VTOL UAV [South Korea]

  Background VTOL Development In January 2024, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it would commence development of a VTOL-capable rotary-wing UAV to be ...

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

  Replicator 2 [US]

  Programme Background 1.0 The Replicator programme was a US effort to field thousands of attritable, autonomous systems across multiple domains before the end of 2025 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle

  The Honeywell T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is a VTOL sUAS that has been used by the US military and the British Army to assist ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Skylark II

  The Skylark II is a fixed-wing UAV that can be used for various military and security applications, including tactical covert surveillance and reconnaissance, perimeter security ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  EL-005

  The EL-005, manufactured by Lycoming Engines, is a two-stroke Otto cycle spark-ignited engine for unmanned aircraft, which is optimised for use with jet fuels. The engine has ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  VTOL UAV

  The Defence Technology Institute launched the VTOL UAV R&D; project in cooperation with the Naval Research and Development Office, Royal Thai Navy and private sector ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Zala 421-22

  The Zala 421-22 is a rotary-wing UAV designed for ship- or land-based reconnaissance and surveillance, bomb damage assessment and real-time target acquisition. The VTOL UAV ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Virtual Cockpit v3.0

  Virtual Cockpit v3.0 integrates all flight sensors, communication and payload interfaces into a light, small package.

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

  RV-VTOL25 Taipan

  The RV-VTOL25 Taipan is a multirole VTOL UAV that is able to perform ISR and close air support missions. 

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

  WanderB

  The WanderB, or WanderB-VTOL, is a fixed-wing platform manufactured by BlueBird Aero Systems. The VTOL-capable UAV is designed to conduct ISTAR missions, providing on-demand rapid GSP-marked HD ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Kestrel Autopilot 3.1

  Kestrel Autopilot 3.1 integrates all flight sensors, communications and payload interfaces into a light, small package. The new Kestrel v3.1 is described as light, powerful ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Turac VTOL UAV

  The Turac is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV developed jointly by Havelsan and Istanbul Technical University Aerospace Research Center. It can be used for traditional military ISR ...

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

  Mini Panther

  Mini Panther is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV with tiltrotor capability that can be used for civilian, military and security roles such as ISR. The aircraft has a ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Intisar 100

  The Intisar 100 is a rotary-wing UAV that can provide aerial video surveillance and photography services. The platform is fitted with stabilised camera mounts, flight ...

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

  Skate

  The Skate is a small, man-packable VTOL UAV designed for performing short-range ISR at the tactical level. A thrust-vectoring system provides a near-VTOL capability, enabling ...

• EO/IR systems

  E140LC

  The E140LC, or Epsilon 140LC, is an EO/IR from Octopus ISR Systems, now Edge Autonomy.  It has an FHD day sensor with 45x optical and ...

• EO/IR systems

  TASE400

  Launched by Goodrich Corporation in 2011, the TASE400 was an EO/IR sensor with two-axis fibre-optic gyro-stabilisation.  In addition to its MWIR and daylight sensor, the ...