• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Air Warfare

  Australia awards contracts for UAS platforms

  15th July 2024

  The orders break new ground for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as they include an order for loitering munitions, the purchase of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and the first order for SkyMantis 2 in the region.

• Defence Notes

  US Senate plans to booster FY2025 acquisitions with an extra $10 billion despite budget cuts to major programmes

  7th August 2024

  While lawmakers intend to provide additional resources for procurement for all US branches, they have reduced the budget for main programmes such as F-35, MQ-25, PIM and AMPV.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Space Force bets big on the use of AI to improve its capabilities

  18th July 2024

  The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO innovation programme doubles in size

  15th March 2024

  DIANA has been leveraging its accelerator programme and test centre network to bring end users together with start-ups, scientific researchers and technology companies for the development of dual-use technological defence and security solutions.

• Land Warfare

  AUKUS members seek solutions to integrate their ground capabilities

  25th March 2024

  The three countries plan to explore technologies to strengthen their collaboration in various land-related areas including artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, EW, hypersonic, quantum computing and logistics.

• Land Warfare

  Babcock looks to test swarm technology in military environment

  7th December 2023

  SwarmCore, a technology designed to control swarming or individual uncrewed systems, offers protection in an environment where cyber threats can be present.

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO selects companies for innovation hub

  13th December 2023

  NATO launched it DIANA programme in 2021 to provide a network of technology test centres and accelerator sites that harness civilian innovation within the defence industry.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Quantum Systems expands UAV family with Twister

  23rd October 2023

  The Twister UAV, which has a flight endurance of 75 minutes and a wingspan of 1.25m, was on display for the first time at AUSA in Washington earlier this month.

• Land Warfare

  New Zealand turns to proven UAS to meet rapid procurement for army

  20th December 2023

  New Zealand will refresh its army’s lower-tier UAS capability under contract awards announced in mid-December with deliveries expected to begin next year.

• Defence Notes

  AUKUS countries look to Pillar 2 as Pillar 1 progresses

  4th December 2023

  Australia, UK and US to collaborate on maritime autonomy, AI, cyber, hypersonics, quantum and undersea warfare, as Australian officers graduate from US Nuclear Power School.

• Land Warfare

  NATO tests robotic capabilities at multi-domain operations trials

  2nd November 2023

  The 2023 Next-Generation Communication Networks Technology event featured innovative technologies transforming the battlefield, including drones, ground-robotic systems and a robot dog.

• Defence Notes

  European Defence Agency report predicts multi-domain operations, new tech and robots to dominate beyond 2040

  24th October 2023

  Future defence forces will face a range of challenges beyond the metal, silicon chips and microprocessors that currently threaten national security and defence.

• Defence Notes

  How the Pentagon is using quantum technology to improve its military capabilities

  29th August 2023

  The US DoD has been conducting several initiatives in the area of quantum science, the study of the smallest possible units of matter and energy, and intends to deepen the efforts in FY2024 as it watches China make advances in defence.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Honeywell introduces improved engine powerpack for the Abrams tank

  24th October 2023

  The new configuration of the AGT1500 engine powerpack could open up opportunities for engagement on a hybrid Abrams.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Vector / Scorpion (Ukraine Aid) [Germany]

  Programme Background German Enablement Initiative On 18 April 2024, Quantum-Systems announced that German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industry Alexander Kamyshin had opened the ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion [Romania]

  Programme Background On 14 May 2024, Quantum Systems secured a contract valued at €18.4 million ($19.7 million) to supply its Vector drone to the Romanian MoD. ...

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

  FALKE (2022-2023) [Germany]

  Background Inception In November 2022, the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) published details on its desire to award a ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion [Spain]

  Background Two Tenders On 4 May 2025, Quantum Systems announced it had won two tenders from the Spanish Armed Forces to provide it with two ...

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

  Twister (Contracted) [Germany]

  Background Broader Agreement On 12 December 2025, Quantum Systems announced it had signed a contract with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service ...

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

  Twister (Option) [Germany]

  Background Broader Agreement On 12 December 2025, Quantum Systems announced it had signed a contract with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion (Selected) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background 500 Systems Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Quantum-Systems has provided many drones to Ukraine. Over 400 units have been provided as aid ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion [Netherlands]

  Programme Background AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven B The Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) operates approximately 75 AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven B mini UAVs in the tactical ISTAR role, ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion (Contracted) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Previous Orders & Donations On 29 March 2022, the US Embassy in Warsaw announced that Quantum Systems had donated an unknown quantity of ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Twister [Spain]

  Background Two Tenders On 4 May 2025, Quantum Systems announced it had won two tenders from the Spanish Armed Forces to provide it with two ...

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

  FALKE (2025-2026) [Germany]

  Background Reported Contract According to Bloomberg News, reporting in mid-December 2025, Quantum Systems is set to receive a €210 million ($246 million) contract to deliver ...

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

  FALKE (2027-2032) [Germany]

  Background Reported Contract According to Bloomberg News, reporting in mid-December 2025, Quantum Systems is set to receive a €210 million ($246 million) contract to deliver ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Small UAV [Belgium]

  According to reports, the Belgian Land Force is set to launch various procurement programmes to expand and diversify its UAV fleet. One of these is ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Small UAV [Belgium]

  According to reports, the Belgian Land Force is set to launch various procurement programmes to expand and diversify its UAV fleet. One of these is ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

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

  Twister

  Unveiled at AUSA 2023, the Twister is a mini fixed-wing UAV manufactured by Quantum-Systems. It is an eVTOL drone that performs ISR missions autonomously. It can be ...

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

  Reliant

  The Reliant is a Quantum Systems VTOL-capable fixed-wing drone unveiled at the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week Exhibition 2024. The hybrid drone is due to ...

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

  Trinity Tactical

  The Trinity Tactical is an electrically powered fixed-wing mapping UAV manufactured by Quantum Systems. Based on the commercial Trinity F90+, the UAV is designed to be ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion

  Vector is an electric UAS with VTOL capabilities and tiltrotor engines developed by Quantum-Systems. Its 2-in-1 design allows the user to remove the wings and attach ...

• Core systems: image intensifiers

  Artemis

  The Artemis series of LLL cameras embeds a ‘scientific CMOS’ sensor (Fairchild CIS1910F) within an uncooled camera design. The camera features simultaneous strong and weak ...

• EO/IR systems

  Raptor

  The Raptor is a lightweight dual EO/IR stabilised camera turret from NextVision.  It features a 1280x720 resolution EO and IR camera, with 80x and 8x ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers, Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  ELT/577

  The ELT/577 is a Directed InfraRed Counter-Measure (DIRCM) System that will be cued towards incoming missiles by a Missile Warning System and is developed by ELT ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  Quiet Eyes

  Quiet Eyes is a laser DIRCM system, manufactured by Raytheon. The pointer/tracker turret system protects aircrafts from IR-guided missiles by jamming the missile, directing the threat away ...

• EO/IR systems

  HD40-LV

  The HD40-LV is an EO/IR system from Trillium Engineering. It features a 10x optical zoom visible camera and a fixed focal length uncooled LWIR camera. The ...

• EO/IR systems

  CM62 (Standard)

  Designed for integration into small UAVs, the CM62 series is a multi-sensor gyro-stabilised imaging system for ISR operations. The standard variant features a high-resolution EO sensor and LWIR ...

• EO/IR systems

  CM62 (LWIR+)

  Designed for integration into small UAVs, the CM62 series are multi-sensor gyro-stabilised imaging systems for ISR operations. The LWIR+ variant is designed for situations where extended ...

• Subsystems: visual

  CatalystSE DBGS 6000

  CatalystSE DBGS 6000 is a PC-based, integrated, open-architecture, COTS database product that employs third-party and Quantum 3D COTS software tools. It is a scalable server-class ...

• EO/IR systems

  CM62 (Tri-Zoom EO)

  Designed for integration into small UAVs, the CM62 series are multi-sensor gyro-stabilised imaging systems for ISR operations. The Tri-Zoom EO variant is designed for situations when enhanced EO ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  QWIP IDCA

  QWIP (Quantum Well IR Photodetector) integrated dewar cooler assembly (IDCA), longwave IR, integral and split cooler solutions are intended for use in tough environments for stationary, handheld ...