• Land Warfare

  US Marine Corps orders NMESIS launchers

  26th May 2022

  Raytheon will supply production-representative NMESIS launchers and weapon control systems for the USMC ahead of an expected in-service date of 2023.

• Air Warfare

  TEI unveils new turbofan with MIUS in mind

  30th June 2022

  The TF-6000 turbofan engine from Tusas Engine Industries features fewer compressor stages than rival powerplants.

• Defence Notes

  Technical trouble forces UK to delay SPEAR 3 first firing

  21st June 2022

  Technical issues are preventing the UK from meeting its original timeline to test-fire the MBDA SPEAR 3 weapon set for entry into service on F-35B fighter jets.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: Rafael to implement laser technology in air defence portfolio

  15th June 2022

  Rafael is looking to complement its wide range of air-defence capabilities with laser technology and continues to work on assessing future threats.

• Air Warfare

  Philippines considers more FA-50s, but no fighter decision made yet

  16th June 2022

  Finances are a constant thorn in the side of the Philippine military, but it still dreams of more FA-50s and new multirole fighters.

• Digital Battlespace

  Bittium Tough SDR radios - unique features summarized (Sponsored)

  18th June 2022

  Bittium Tough SDR Vehicular and Handheld radios are unique in their performance in leading the mobile troops and forming the situation awareness on the battlefield.

• Naval Warfare

  Second Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boat launched

  7th March 2022

  The Evolved Cape-class builds on the capabilities of the in-service Cape-class vessels.

• Land Warfare

  Safran to provide full suite of portable optronics for Land 17 Phase 2

  14th March 2022

  Safran will provide JIM Compact, Moskito TI and Sterna portable optronics to the Australian Defence Force under Project Land 17 Phase 2.

• Digital Battlespace

  Ozelot offers enhanced protection for armoured vehicle crews

  1st June 2022

  A basic Communications Electronic Support Measure architecture under development in Germany could help armoured vehicle crews detect and locate nearby enemy troops and vehicles.

• Training

  Danish T-17 to receive digital instruments upgrade

  20th June 2022

  The prototype T-17 was equipped with modern digital equipment with the purpose to future-proof the Danish Air Force’s current fleet.

• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2022: Sikorsky reveals plan to develop new X2 helicopter for Europe

  18th July 2022

  Sikorsky has opened up about an ambitious plan to develop a third X2 technology-based helicopter to meet European demand.

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurosatory 2022: Leonardo expands surveillance capabilities with TMMR

  17th June 2022

  Leonardo claims that its new AESA radar can deliver 360° coverage for air and land defence, battlefield surveillance, vehicle protection and V-SHORAD.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kaman forecasts tenfold return on new KARGO expeditionary UAV

  13th May 2022

  As development of Kaman's KARGO UAV continues at pace, the company is anticipating high demand based on interest from the USMC and talks with the US Air Force and US Army.

• Land Warfare

  US Army evaluates Spike Firefly loitering munition

  11th May 2022

  The US Army evaluated the Spike Firefly loitering munition at the AEWE 2022 exercise. During the two days assessment, seven infantry squads were qualified in the operation of the weapon system.

• Naval Warfare

  Construction begins on Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigate

  27th April 2022

  Babcock announces keel laying ceremony for UK Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigate, with the first of its class expected to be launched by 2023.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

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

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Programme Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

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

  Loyal Wingman [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Programme Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early ...

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

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [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 ...

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

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

  Low-Cost Uncrewed Air Systems (LANCA) Follow-On Project [UK]

  Programme Background Project Mosquito Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  NGJ

  Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) was selected by the USN in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALQ-210

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/ALQ-210 is an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) outfitting the Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo naval support helicopter. The manufacturer’s official literature says that the product ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  BAE Systems’ commenced its work on the Australian Department of Defence’s Air-5416 Project Echidna initiative in 2001. The rationale of the programme was to overhaul ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon-XF

  Thales’ Vicon-XF is a countermeasure dispensing system which can equip an array of platforms, primarily large aircraft and rotorcraft, according to the manufacturer’s official literature. ...

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  Initially, as a multirole system to escort crewed aircraft, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat has been reimagined as a proving platform. Its development began in 2013 and ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...