• Naval Warfare

  Congress funds extra guided missile destroyer but scuppers LCS withdrawals

  5th July 2021

  In a mark-up of the Biden administration’s FY2022 defence funding bill, US lawmakers are funding the procurement of an additional destroyer while blocking plans to retire three struggling Littoral Combat Ships and axing funding for the USN nuclear cruise missile project.

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin continues SPY-1 advanced calibration work

  16th June 2021

  Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems has received an $8.25 million order from the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, for engineering services in support of …

• Air Warfare

  Japanese UH-2 set for introduction, while RQ-4Bs take flight

  29th June 2021

  The second Global Hawk for Japan has flown, while production is under way of the UH-2 utility helicopter.

• Defence Helicopter

  Podcast: Revolutions in Vertical Flight S2 E3: Airborne Law Enforcement

  7th September 2021

  Law enforcement agencies around the world use the helicopter as an essential crime-fighting tool.

• Defence Helicopter

  Podcast: Revolutions in Vertical Flight S2 E6 - The Role of Autonomy

  7th September 2021

  Autonomy is certain to be a defining trend in the future of aviation and fully autonomous aircraft could one day supplement or even replace traditional helicopters.

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army keeps FLRAA costs and risks under wraps

  4th May 2021

  Ahead of a FLRAA contract award to Bell or a joint Boeing and Sikorsky team, the US Army has decided to keep manufacturing costs and programme risks confidential.

• Land Warfare

  Aggregated SATCOM accelerates in the US

  11th June 2021

  In 2022, US Army Brigade Combat Teams should be equipped with a new tool for seamless and resilient communications in contested environments.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy pushes for reform in FY2022 budget

  3rd June 2021

  The USN component of the FY2022 budget request is an attempt to balance the competing requirements of sustaining a credible force and developing capabilities for the future.

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo looks ahead to Grifo-E qualification

  19th May 2021

  Forthcoming qualification of Leonardo's Grifo-E fire control radar could lead to a spike in demand from customers as the manufacturer looks to the light fighter jet and retrofit markets for sales.

• Digital Battlespace

  Protected SATCOM grows in importance

  1st June 2021

  An array of solutions are available — in space and on the ground — to ensure military SATCOM remains secure in the face of soft and hard threats.

• Air Warfare

  USSOCOM places order for Switchblade 600

  27th April 2021

  Loitering munition system to be installed on maritime platforms used by US special forces.

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia fields trailer-mounted SATCOM

  20th May 2021

  The Australian Army's communications upgrade continues with the release of SATCOM terminals mounted on trailers.

• Naval Warfare

  Elderly USN submarine tenders to serve for another decade

  26th April 2021

  Replacement plans take shape for new vessels to provide essential maintenance and support to USN submarines and surface ships — but it must rely on existing ageing platforms for some time yet.

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky showcases new S-97 Raider during flight demonstrations

  15th April 2021

  Sikorsky exhibits the capabilities of its S-97 Raider during Future Vertical Lift flight demonstrations.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea joins the ‘big boys’ with rollout of KF-21

  13th April 2021

  South Korea's project to create an affordable but capable modern fighter still appears to be on track, as the first prototype is rolled out.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Data links

  Data links | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

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

  Sky Scout-X [Thailand]

  Programme Background At the Defence & Security (D&S;) 2019 show in Bangkok, RV Connex displayed a variant of this Sky Scout, the Sky Scout-X. This ...

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

  Watchkeeper X (Contracted) [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to potentially produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania. U-TacS is a ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• Fighter - multirole

  KF-X Development - South Korea

  In May 2018, Indonesia renegotiated the terms of the contract, with no details disclosed. At ADEX 2019, KF-X full-scale mockup and cockpit design were unveiled. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Kaori-X [South Korea]

  Programme Background Kaori-X South Korea's Ministry of National Defense revealed on 23 December 2021 that the indigenous Kaori-X presently under development would combine with future KF-21 Boramae fighters as ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Patrol boats

  115 Defiant

  The Metal Shark 115 Defiant is a monohull patrol vessel designed and manufactured by Metal Shark. It is marketed as a platform for border patrol, police and ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  85 Defiant

  The 85 Defiant is a patrol boat by Metal Shark based on the proven Damen 2606 standardised patrol platform. Thirteen Near Coastal Patrol Vessel vessels ...

• 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.

• Patrol boats

  PB40

  The PB(X) is a new generation of patrol boats from Metal Shark being built for the USN Expeditionary Combat Command's Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). The ...

• 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 - USVs

  Sharktech

  Sharktech is a UMV kit developed to be fitted to Metal Shark boats ranging in size from 4.9m to 91m. Metal Shark used ASV Global’s ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-280 Valor

  Bell Helicopter Textron is developing the V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the JMR-TD FVL project. The US Army announced in August 2014 that Bell would be ...

• Space: radar systems

  TerraSAR-X and ​TanDEM-X

  TerraSAR-X and the more advanced TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for digital elevation measurement) are designed to operate closely together to generate an accurate 3D image of ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems, Land: unattended sensor/surveillance systems

  Spynel-X

  Spynel-X is a passive wide-area surveillance system with automatic intrusion detection and tracking capabilities. The sensor can perform 24/7 early human intrusion alerts over a ...

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

  Rapier X-SkySAR

  The Rapier X-SkySAR is an Italian UAV designed by Sky Eye Systems for civil and military missions. As its name suggests, the UAV features an ...

• Land: air defence radar

  X-TAR

  The X-Band Tactical Acquisition Radar (X-TAR) is a fully coherent X-band radar designed for such applications as early warning for MANPADS and guns or tactical ...

• Loitering munitions

  OWL-X

  Unveiled at the Australia Air Show 2025, the One-Way Loitering (OWL) X, or OWL-X, is an Australian loitering munition.  Unlike the other OWLs in InnovAero's parliament, the ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Fox RRV-x

  The Fox Rapid Reaction Vehicle-x (RRV-x) is an open-topped 4x4 vehicle developed for SF operations. Unlike its predecessor, the Fox RRV-r, the RRV-x is based on ...

• Infrastructure - shelters/accommodation

  Base-X Shelters

  HDT's Base-X folding frame soft-walled shelters range in size from personal tents to Corps-level complexes. Available in the 100, 200, 300 (305), 500 or Dome ...

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

  Wing Loong X

  The Wing Loong X, or WL-X, is a fixed-wing UAV developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Debuted at the Paris Air Show ...