• Naval Warfare

  Naval Group progresses in Dutch sub programme

  16th December 2019

  Naval Group has announced that it has been down-selected by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) for its Submarine Replacement programme. Naval Group is one …

• Training

  RAAF PC-21 fleet complete

  9th December 2019

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has received its final Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, completing the fleet at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria. The 49 …

• Training

  Turkish Navy to receive diver training vessels in 2020

  23rd December 2019

  Istanbul-based Desan Shipyard launched two Emergency Response and Diving Training Boat for the Turkish Navy in early December. The vessels are aptly named as TCG …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Can India escape the morass of bungled procurements?

  23rd January 2020

  With India hosting its biennial DefExpo exhibition early next month, in yet another new and inconvenient location, it is a timely reminder to consider the …

• Digital Battlespace

  iXblue systems for Argentine Navy OPVs

  23rd December 2019

  iXblue will supply navigation solutions to equip the three new OPV 87 offshore patrol vessels being built for the Argentine Navy, the company announced on …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Another year of instability amid Middle Eastern power plays

  22nd January 2020

  The new decade has opened, quite literally, with a bang. The drone strike by the US military on 3 January to kill the head of …

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Queen Elizabeth reforms carrier battle group

  4th December 2019

  The Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabethhas reformed its carrier battle group for combined NATO/anti-submarine warfare training in the Western Atlantic. The vessel rejoined HMS Northumberland, …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Navy issues APKWS contract

  20th December 2019

  The US Navy has issued a $2.68 billion IDIQ contract to BAE Systems for the APKWS Laser-Guided Rocket, the company announced on 18 December. The …

• Naval Warfare

  Bangladesh receives two Chinese frigates amidst modernisation drive

  23rd December 2019

  In a handover ceremony at the Shenjia Shipyard in Shanghai on 18 December, the Bangladesh Navy (BN) took delivery of two former Chinese Type 053H3 …

• Training

  CAE awarded German NH90 training contract

  20th December 2019

  CAE Elektronik has signed a contract with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency to provide the German Navy with a training solution for the incoming …

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy forced to do more with less

  5th December 2019

  India’s economy is forcing the Indian Navy (IN), which has been expanding its footprint, to restructure its procurement strategy. The IN’s share of the defence …

• Digital Battlespace

  Techmodal awarded Royal Navy work

  27th November 2019

  Techmodal has been awarded a contract to deliver people, analytics and associated digital communications transformation for the Royal Navy, the company announced on 25 November.The …

• Military Logistics

  Future USNS Harvey Milk build begins

  19th December 2019

  Construction of the US Navy’s future USNS Harvey Milk began at the General Dynamics-National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD-NASSCO) shipyard on 13 December. The John …

• Naval Warfare

  Canada's first AOPS begins builders' sea trials

  28th November 2019

  The Royal Canadian Navy’s lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) has begun initial builder’s sea trials with Halifax Shipyard.The future HMCS Harry DeWolf will …

• Training

  Australian, Bruneian forces train together

  10th December 2019

  Australian and Bruneian land forces have completed joint training during Exercise Mallee Bull at Gallipoli Barracks, the Australian Department of Defence announced on 9 December. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) As the Royal Navy stated in 2022, Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) are “interchangeable modules that can be fitted to ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Project Dragonfire [UK]

  Background The UK Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been working with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ to develop a LASER Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) called ...

• Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Deployment On 7 April 2025, the Royal Navy announced that, for the first time, nine T-150 drones would be operated from the HMS Prince ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lanza 3D Radar [Thailand]

  Background Thailand is procuring the LANZA 3D radar to strengthen surveillance and protection of Sattahip Naval Base. The radar will be deployed by the Royal ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Background Tender notice and timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (UK)

  Programme Background Testing The Royal Navy announced in October 2020 that the Puma was undergoing its first operational testing on HMS Albion's autumn deployment to ...

• Frigates

  Hamilton Class Cutter [Bahrain]

  Background Very little has been said about the transfer of an ex-Hamilton-class cutter to Bahrain, but it is one of the final two to leave ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (1-6) [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. The contract ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (7-8) [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 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Boraida Class replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Navy urges the replacement of three Boraida-class minehunters. Based on the Durance-class design, the ships entered service in the mid-1980s ...

• Minehunters

  Lat Ya Class Replacement Programme [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) currently operates two Lat Ya-class minehunters, commissioned in the late 1990s. The units are based on the ...

• Frigates

  Air Defence Frigates Procurement [Denmark]

  Background Requirements After focusing on the procurement of new highly capable patrol ships and new Arctic frigates as a replacement for the Thetis-class, Shephard had initially estimated ...

• Frigates

  Karel Dorman Class (Chile)

  Programme Background  Chile currently operates two ex-Karel Doorman-class frigates which were sold in 2004. The Royal Netherlands Navy are in the process of replacing the ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat aircraft, specifically the V-Bat 400, to enhance the maritime ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Malaysian Navy are in the process of a fleet transformation plan known as the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XV Excalibur

  XV Excalibur is an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) built by UK-based MSubs, in conjunction with the Royal Navy. It is an experimental vessel ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class (Type 26)

  The Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy are based on the Type 26 design. The ships are set to replace the Anzac-class under the ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  Ceros 200

  The Ceros 200 is a radar and optronic tracking system designed for use on naval vessels. When interfaced with modern missile or gun systems, it ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Royal Danish Navy MH-60R MOFT

  In January 2014, CAE was awarded an FMS contract by the USN to develop an MH-60R mission operational flight trainer (MOFT) for the Royal Danish ...

• Frigates

  Naresuan Class

  The Naresuan-class guided-missile frigates are a modified variant of the Chinese-built Type 053 frigate. The two ships-in-class were built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation ...

• Destroyers

  River Class (Type 26)

  The Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate has been designed for the UK Royal Navy, but with an emphasis on export. Both the Royal Canadian Navy ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-7(V)1

  The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is a solid-state naval surveillance radar produced and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The system is expected to be fully integrated into programmes for ...

• Frigates

  Jacob Van Heemskerck Class

  The Jacob van Heemskerck class frigates were ex-Royal Netherlands Navy frigates that also served under the Chilean Navy, also known as the Latorre-class. Two anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Walrus

  The Walrus is a mini rotary-wing UAV manufactured by the Royal Navy's 700X Naval Air Squadron.  As stressed during the December 2022 announcement, Walrus has been ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  RD-170BT

  The RD-170BT is a man-portable surveillance radar deployed ashore to protect moored patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. 

• Minehunters

  Sandown Class

  The Sandown class vessels are coastal minehunters and OPVs in service with the UK Royal Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces as the Al Jawf class. Additionally, ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Frigates

  Type 22 (Batch 1)

  The Type 22 frigates were previously the Broadsword-class in service with the UK's Royal Navy. The vessels were built in three batches, with the first ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...