• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Additional payload requirement for MEUAS III

  22nd June 2017

  The NAVAIR and MEUSS III awards announced recently, which will enable Textron Systems to put itself forward for future UAS-based tasking orders, has been met positively …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: V-200 announcements expected

  12th June 2017

  UMS Skeldar has revealed it will be making what it considers ‘major contract announcements’ at the upcoming Paris Air Show regarding its heavy fuel V-200 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Aeronautics showcases first VTOL UAV

  12th June 2017

  UAS manufacturer Aeronautics Group will present its newest UAVs at this year’s Paris Air Show, including the Orbiter 4 and Pegasus 120. The Pegasus 120 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Marine Corps spotlights SUAS growth

  12th May 2017

  The United States Marine Corps is predicting a continuing expansion of 'Group 1' small UAS systems across service elements.Speaking at this week's AUVSI Xponential event …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: Aurora touts armed XV-24A (video)

  17th May 2017

  Aurora Flight Sciences is showcasing the potential roles of its XV-24A 'LightningStrike' VTOL unmanned aerial system at this year's SOFIC exhibition in Tampa, Florida. Currently …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Textron dedicated to navy solutions

  5th May 2017

  Textron Systems Unmanned Systems will be showcasing its latest development of the Aerosonde UAV, the Aerosonde hybrid quad (HQ) SUAS variant, at AUVSI Xponential in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: MartinUAV seeks entrance to US market

  9th May 2017

  After participating in several recent demonstration events, MartinUAV is looking to establish its V-Bat long endurance VTOL UAS in the US military market. According to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAS 2017: USCG envisions UAS blend

  6th April 2017

  The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has made no secret of its interest in small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) for shipboard operations aboard its new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SkyX launches oil and gas UAS services

  11th April 2017

  SkyX will target the oil and gas industry with its newly launched UAS inspection services in Canada, the company announced on 7 April.The company's SkyOne …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Subscale LightningStrike completes flight test

  6th April 2017

  Aurora's XV-24A LightningStrike VTOL XPlane subscale demonstrator has completed its flight test programme at Webster Outlying Field in Southern Maryland in the US, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Neva Aerospace introduces Vlinder concept

  31st March 2017

  Neva Aerospace has introduced a new heavy-duty aerial robotic platform (ARP) concept called Vlinder.The company is developing the technology to meet the needs of industrial …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Gilo seeking Chinese JV

  9th March 2017

  The recent investment of $30 million into UK-based Gilo Industries by Chinese technology group Kuang-Chi represent the first of its kind by the company, following …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ​Heli-Expo 2017: VSR700 ready to fly

  7th March 2017

  The shipborne VSR700, a unmanned helicopter VTOL system, is fast approaching its first flight without a safety pilot.The aircraft is derived from a light civil …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SkyRanger UAS flies BVLOS

  28th February 2017

  Aeryon's SkyRanger UAS has carried out a beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight at the Foremost UAS Range in Canada, the company announced on 24 February.The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2017: ADF progresses UAV capability

  6th March 2017

  Australia's latest acquisition - the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 system - was on display at the Avalon Air Show near Melbourne, where the three branches of …

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 ...