• Special Operations

  Japan to set up DARPA-style institute to tackle evolving threat of cyber warfare

  14th August 2024

  Japan’s Ministry of Defense is devoting government-level effort and funding to tackling the growing problem of cyber warfare.

• Air Warfare

  Air Warfare Review 2024: Budget cuts and delays fail to dampen modernisation efforts in 2024

  10th December 2024

  From major platform upgrades, high-value contract wins and programme delays, Shephard reported on a mixed year for air warfare in 2024, as geopolitical tensions rose across Europe and the Middle East.

• Naval Warfare

  Thales to test passive sonar on Naval Group large uncrewed underwater vessel

  11th July 2024

  Naval Group’s extra-large uncrewed underwater vessel (XL-UUV) demonstrator, which completed sea qualification in mid-2023, is a key component of the French defence procurement agency’s (DGA’s) Unmanned Combat Underwater Vehicle (UCUV) demonstrator project.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s Ghost Shark XLUUV to undergo trials in the US

  21st August 2024

  US uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) systems manufacturer Anduril, through its Australian subsidiary, has a contract to deliver three prototype extra-large UUVs (XLUUVs) named Ghost Shark to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Specialist solutions: the growing importance of niche UAS in defence

  31st July 2024

  DARPA and Northrop Grumman outline plans for the XRQ-73 uncrewed aerial system with hybrid-electric power, which will join the growing ranks of highly specialist UAV designs.

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin to work with DARPA on AI effort

  11th July 2024

  During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.

• Naval Warfare

  Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray completes testing

  2nd May 2024

  Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation was selected in 2021 to build and test and Manta Ray unmanned underwater vehicle (UUVs). A second platform has been under development by PacMar Technologies.

• Naval Warfare

  Northrop Grumman unveils Manta Ray UUV

  9th April 2024

  The uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) prototype was built through a programme by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) and assembled in Northrop Grumman’s Annapolis facility.

• Digital Battlespace

  Seizing the Future: The Imperative for Militaries to Master AI and Forge Strategic Alliances

  16th August 2024

  The current pace of innovation demands a new strategy for success, focusing on developing technology to meet specific defence goals and ensuring collaborative efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Designs revealed for DARPA’s ANCILLARY VTOL UAS programme

  23rd May 2024

  Six bidders have been competing for DARPA’s AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) programme for a low-weight, large-payload, long-endurance VTOL uncrewed X-plane.

• Naval Warfare

  UK Royal Navy orders more Remus UUVs

  7th May 2024

  HII’s Remus UUVs can be used for mine-countermeasure, harbour security and reconnaissance operations, as well as hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring and debris field mapping.

• Digital Battlespace

  Transforming the battlefield: How DARPA’s manufacturing innovations is fuelling military flexibility

  3rd May 2024

  DARPA has been attempting to revolutionise military logistics with innovative manufacturing programmes like SURGE. Such programmes have been aimed at streamlining the qualification process and enhancing distributed production to ensure quick, adaptable supply of critical military parts using advanced technologies.

• Air Warfare

  Bell Textron and Boeing’s Aurora selected for next phase of DARPA’s X-Plane

  29th May 2024

  The Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) project, a joint DARPA/US Special Operations Command effort to design, build and fly an X-plane, will attempt to demonstrate the key technologies and integrated concepts that enable a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence.

• Air Warfare

  USAF's F-16 to fly pilotless for first time in 2025

  14th May 2024

  F-16 Fighting Falcon is currently passing through the developmental and operational testing phase under the VENOM-AFT programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy welcomes mine-hunting mothership

  15th April 2024

  RFA Stirling Castle, a 6,000-tonne vessel, will start operations later this year.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

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

  LongShot [USA]

  Background Requirement As explained by GA-ASI in February 2026, LongShot is envisaged as an air-launched UAV that will fly from larger, mostly crewed aircraft and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Arctic Security Cutters (7-11) [USCG]

  Programme Background Requirements The Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) programme aims to increase the US presence and capability in the Arctic to counter Russian and Chinese ...

• AEW&C

  AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement was initially reported in 2016 when it was noted as being part of a long-term development plan, however, reports from ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-Knifefish

  The Bluefin-Knifefish UUV was initially developed for the Surface Mine Countermeasure UUV (SMCM UUV) programme for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ships. It is manufactured by General Dynamics ...

• Sea: procedural training

  UUV Training Simulator

  The Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) Training Simulator teaches users how to operate and control a UUV, specifically with reference to mine hunting. The UUV is ...

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

  X-68A

  The X-68A is a developmental, host-platform-agnostic air-launched effect (ALE). After developmental contracts were first awarded in 2021 under the LongShot programme, General Atomics (GA-ASI) emerged as the preferred supplier ...

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

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The aircraft has been developed under the  Series ...

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Riptide Mk II

  At Oceanology International 2018, Riptide Autonomous Solutions presented its second-generation micro-UUV – the Mk II. The Riptide Mk II UUV has a maximum speed of ...

• Military - UUVs

  BlueWhale

  BlueWhale (ELI-3325) is an autonomous uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Israel's Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is designed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Mine Countermeasures (MCM) and ...

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

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

• Military - UUVs

  Lamprey MMAUV

  The Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (MMAUV) is a UUV designed by Lockheed Martin. The UUV is intended as an autonomous companion submersible to a ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  UUV-3500

  The Klein UUV-3500 side-scan sonar family is composed of the mid-depth (3000m) high-resolution, low-power, dual-frequency and the deep (6000m) variant which is a higher power ...

• Military - UUVs

  D19 UUV

  Naval Group's family of D19 drones are AUVs designated for varying taskings such as identification, surveillance, EW, mobile target, minelaying and MCM operations.

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

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...