• Training

  USAF exercises KC-135 training option

  2nd October 2019

  CAE has been awarded a $33 million contract modification that exercises an FY20 option to extend its US Air Force KC‐135 Stratotanker Aircrew Training System …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AQS-24 performance envelope expands

  11th October 2019

  Recent testing carried out by Northrop Grumman on the AQS-24 minehunting sonar has doubled the current AQS-24 Program of Record depth performance metric.The test team …

• Defence Helicopter

  V-22 fleet logs 500,000 flight hours

  9th October 2019

  The Bell-Boeing V-22 tiltrotor programme has reached a new milestone, with the fleet logging a combined 500,000 flight hours. More than 375 Ospreys are flying …

• Naval Warfare

  Construction begins on the future USS Nantucket

  11th October 2019

  Construction has begun on the US Navy’s 14th Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Nantucket. Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine marked the …

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea lines up new warship contracts

  22nd October 2019

  The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) will continue to grow in capability, with new contracts for destroyers, submarines and a next-generation LHD awarded to indigenous …

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy Type 31 build plans remain unclear as name game gets a head start

  18th September 2019

  Despite the selection of Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design for the UK Royal Navy’s Type 31 light frigate programme, both potential supplier and customer remain cagey …

• Naval Warfare

  JFD zeroes in on Turkish market

  10th October 2019

  JFD has announced a new partnership with Turkey’s Armelsan that will see Armelsan become JFD’s in-country partner in Turkey for defence opportunities. Armelsan is a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Pacific 2019: Australia lays groundwork for Triton’s arrival

  10th October 2019

  Even though the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will not receive its mission control station until 2021 and the initial MQ-4C Triton until 2023, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Collins awarded contract for USN helicopter visual systems

  2nd October 2019

  Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $24.7 million contract to provide engineering and manufacturing development for the Enhanced Visual Acuity (EVA) system for US Navy …

• Naval Warfare

  Newest P-8A joins RAAF fleet

  30th September 2019

  The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) newest P-8A Poseidon has been welcomed into the fleet at a ceremony in Seattle, US. The aircraft is now …

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy commissions INS Khanderi

  30th September 2019

  The Indian Navy has commissioned INS Khanderi into service, Naval Group announced on 28 September. Built by Indian shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) under …

• Defence Notes

  BAE concludes Typhoon deliveries to RAF

  1st October 2019

  BAE Systems has delivered the last Eurofighter Typhoon on contract for the Royal Air Force, ahead of transitioning to assembly of the aircraft for the …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce to support T56 turboprops

  3rd October 2019

  Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract with a ceiling value of $109.3 million to deliver support for the T56 family of aircraft turboprop engines.   This …

• Naval Warfare

  INS Nilgiri stealth frigate launched

  2nd October 2019

  India has launched the new INS Nilgiri stealth frigate for its navy from the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders facility in Mumbai.  INS Nilgiri is the first …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2019: Royal Navy ‘must not bask in avoidance of decline’

  9th September 2019

  The departure of HMS Queen Elizabeth for the second iteration of the WESTLANT 19 sea trials off the eastern seaboard of the US in August is …

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 ...