• Defence Notes

  Podcast: Key military helicopter programmes, the space domain and a spotlight on defence export controls

  15th November 2019

  Welcome to Episode 43 of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert of future podcasts here.

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2019: Asia’s spending on tanks and IFVs grows to $55 billion

  20th November 2019

  Countries in the Asia-Pacific region will spend over $55 billion to procure new heavily armoured main battle tanks and IFVs by the end of the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurofighter​ electronic combat role concept detailed

  13th November 2019

  Airbus and its partners have detailed the new Eurofighter electronic combat role (ECR) concept at the International Fighter Conference in Berlin. The role will expand …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GE Aviation, Hybrid Project​ team up for VTOL UAS

  29th October 2019

  GE Aviation has teamed with Hybrid Project to provide a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV capability for high endurance commercial applications. The teaming arrangement …

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO announces $1bn upgrade to ageing AWACS fleet

  20th November 2019

  NATO is to upgrade its ageing fleet of AWACS reconnaissance planes at a cost of $1 billion, the alliance announced Wednesday, with still no plan …

• 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 …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing and Embraer to form joint venture

  18th November 2019

  Boeing and Embraer will form a joint venture called Boeing Embraer-Defense to promote and develop new markets for the C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft, the companies …

• Land Warfare

  RNM moves toward munitions facility opening

  18th November 2019

  Rheinmetall Nioa Munitions (RNM) has opened the project office for its forthcoming munitions forging facility in Maryborough, Queensland. Construction of the new facility is expected …

• Naval Warfare

  Israel Shipyards to design new Reshef class

  14th November 2019

  Israel Shipyards will design the Israel Navy’s new Reshef class combat vessel under an agreement with the Israel Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on 13 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rohde & Schwarz completes Malaysian deliveries

  15th November 2019

  Rohde & Schwarz has delivered new communication suites for two Royal Malaysian Navy frigates, the company announced on 15 November. The NAVICS IP integrated communications …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2019: Raider X takes to the stage

  16th October 2019

  Sikorsky has officially confirmed that it is offering an enlarged variant of the in-development co-axial S-97 Raider for the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft …

• Digital Battlespace

  CEA Technologies receives Aussie radar contract

  15th November 2019

  CEA Technologies will supply radars for the Australian Army under a A$137 million ($93 million) contract announced by the Australian Department of Defence on 15 …

• Land Warfare

  Alakran light mortar carrier now operational internationally

  12th November 2019

  Although the Spanish-developed Alakran Light Mortar Carrier (LMC) has been tested domestically, the system is now deployed operationally by two export customers with additional contracts …

• Digital Battlespace

  Dubai Airshow 2019: E2-D set for new lease of life

  19th November 2019

  The US Navy’s E2-D Advanced Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft will first field an air-to-air refuelling capability in 2020, ahead of an anticipated number …

• Digital Battlespace

  D&S 2019: Netline is jamming with heads of state

  21st November 2019

  Netline Communications Technologies, an Israeli company, headlined its presence at Defense & Security 2019 in Bangkok with an announcement that it had won a contract …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C Carrier Variant

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Fighter - naval

  Future Naval Fighter China

  The PLAN started development work in 2011 for the Type 075 with the aim of increasing the "vertical" amphibious assault capability, with the mountainous East ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  US Navy has ordered 122 F-35B aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 202 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 10 and 17 per year ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  VTOL UAV [New Zealand]

  Background Defence Capability Plan (DCP) In April 2025, the New Zealand government published the DCP, a document that is essentially a blueprint for what procurements ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Surface-to-air missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  RIM-174 Standard ERAM SM-6 Block I/IA

  The SM-6 (RIM-174 Standard ERAM) is a surface-to-air supersonic missile launched from cruisers and destroyers, capable of successfully engaging crewed and uncrewed, fixed- or rotary-wing ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Cumulus One

  Cumulus One is an autonomous fixed-wing drone manufactured by Sky-Watch. The aircraft’s structure is made from carbon fibre and Kevlar. The system has mission planning ...

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

• EO/IR systems

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder is a surveillance system with a laser rangefinder. Performance includes 1/3in charge-coupled device colour sensor, NTSC or PAL format. Resolution ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a JMR-TD aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal to build a demonstrator ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Tiltrotors

  TR36TD

  Karem Aircraft was one of four contenders for the US Army's JMR-TD, which is a precursor to the FVL project that will replace the UH-60 ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Super Komar

  The Super Komar is an upgraded version of the Komar, featuring digital signal processing. Air-to-air modes include boresight, head-up display search, look-up/down, range-while-search, track-while-scan (TWS) and vertical manoeuvre. ...

• Military - UUVs

  Roving Bat

  The Roving Bat is a multipurpose, hybrid ROV and crawler built by Exail. It is designed for close inspection and cleaning operations of immersed vertical structures ...