• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan upgrades old submarine ahead of new-build project

  2nd October 2019

  The Republic of China Navy (ROCN) showed its submarine ROCS Hai Shih to media at a Keelung naval base in late September after a significant …

• Defence Helicopter

  ​DSEI 2019: Leonardo stiffens up over AW149 Egyptian order

  13th September 2019

  Manufacturer Leonardo is still unwilling to confirm that a reported order of 20 AW149 helicopters to Egypt has been completed, or that any negotiations about …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Risk of operational delays gifts Insitu US Navy ISR contract

  4th October 2019

  The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded a sole source ISR contract to Insitu in support of the Expeditionary Mobile Base (ESB) USS Lewis …

• Defence Helicopter

  US DoD orders APKWS II

  26th September 2019

  BAE Systems has received an IDIQ contract from US Naval Air Systems Command for the procurement of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II, the …

• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2019: UK capability 'confidence' masked by Brexit blind spot

  10th September 2019

  Drawing on a message to ‘take back confidence in our defence industry’ Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK minister for defence procurement, announced a handful of contracts in …

• Naval Warfare

  New Asian-built LPDs for Thailand and Myanmar

  11th September 2019

  Two neighbouring Southeast Asian countries are adding LPDs to their naval fleets and both are procuring them from Asian shipbuilders in different countries. There is …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indonesia tries out Chinese CH-4B drones

  19th September 2019

  The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) trialled a couple of Chinese-manufactured CH-4B MALE UAVs during the Dharma Yudha joint exercise from 9-12 September. This was the …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2019: Cammell Laird open to switching Type 31e allegiance

  11th September 2019

  Shipbuilder Cammell Laird will consider the option of partnering with a competitor prime manufacturer in the event that its current tie with BAE Systems and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy trials MCM mission package on ESB vessel

  23rd September 2019

  The US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Mine Countermeasure (MCM) mission package has been trialled on Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, USNS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams. In …

• Training

  Swedish Navy awards naval warfare training upgrade

  5th September 2019

  CAE has been awarded a contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) on behalf of the Royal Swedish Navy to upgrade and expand the …

• Military Logistics

  BAE Systems wins Arleigh Burke-class work

  20th September 2019

  BAE Systems will maintain and repair two US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers under contracts worth $170.7 million announced on 18 September. The company’s San …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAAF E-7A Wedgetail deploys to Middle East

  16th September 2019

  A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft has deployed to the Middle East as part of US-led operations. The …

• Land Warfare

  First Strykers handed over to Thailand

  17th September 2019

  The first batch of Stryker vehicles have been presented to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) by the US Army Pacific (USARPAC) at a handover ceremony …

• Naval Warfare

  First Norwegian P-8A aircrew trained

  17th September 2019

  The first class of Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) aircrew graduated from the US Navy’s Patrol Squadron (VP) Thirty’s Category 2 school on 11 September, …

• Naval Warfare

  Leidos awarded TRAPS contract

  19th September 2019

  Leidos has received a follow-on contract from the US Navy to provide submarine detection sonar services. The three-year award has a total value of approximately …

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 ...