• Naval Warfare

  Royal Marines transformation programme shows early signs of progress

  9th April 2024

  The UK’s Royal Marines have taken significant strides in the first year of a decade-long transformation programme focusing on advanced communications, distributed operations and enhancing its capabilities.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet

  25th April 2024

  The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.

• Air Warfare

  Israel bets big on India to enhance defence procurement

  4th April 2024

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has enhanced its defence collaboration with India, focusing on joint development and support for the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) system, alongside the establishment of a dedicated local subsidiary for maintenance and upgrades.

• Naval Warfare

  Norway to renew naval forces within a decade

  23rd May 2024

  The Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) will be almost completely overhauled and replaced with new ships and submarines in a timeframe of about 10 years.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD

  16th April 2024

  A new class of General Purpose ‘Tier 2’ frigate will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates, but the selected design options appear to have major issues in terms of compatibility and availability for the future fleet.

• Air Warfare

  US ponders weapons sales to Israel as UK faces calls to halt exports

  4th April 2024

  Amid calls for restraint in arms sales, the US has been reviewing an $18 billion deal with Israel, including F-15 fighters and air-to-air missiles. The UK has also been facing pressure to cease exports over potential violations of international law in the Gaza conflict.

• Air Warfare

  First three F-16V fighter jets head to Bahrain

  7th March 2024

  Bahrain, long an operator of F-16s within the Gulf Cooperation Council, will become the first customer to adopt the newest and most advanced configuration of the renowned Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy’s Fincantieri and UAE’s Edge Group sign for naval joint venture

  21st February 2024

  Edge’s joint venture with Fincantieri will boost Abu Dhabi Ship Building’s growth potential and open the door to the region for its Italian partner.

• Air Warfare

  US Marine Corps completes second XQ-58A Valkyrie flight test

  29th February 2024

  Originally designed by Kratos for the USAF, the XQ-58A will serve as a vital testbed for emerging technologies and capabilities of the US Marine Corps.

• Land Warfare

  Japan beefs up ground force with new armoured vehicles

  22nd March 2024

  The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s (JGSDF) has been modernising its combat vehicle fleet to deter threats from nearby China, Russia and North Korea.

• Air Warfare

  The Netherlands selects Airboxer UAV

  27th February 2024

  Manufactured by High Eye, the Airboxer, or HEF 32, is a rotary-wing VTOL UAS designed to conduct maritime ISR applications. Powered by a twin-cylinder petrol engine and following a classic single-rotor helicopter configuration it can carry a payload up to 5kg.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems

  11th April 2024

  As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.

• Air Warfare

  Norway joins air defence coalition in support of Ukraine

  7th March 2024

  Norway’s proactive involvement in supporting Ukraine’s air defence and other initiative stood in contrast to the broader trend of diminishing military aid pledges.

• Land Warfare

  PT Pindad hands over first Harimau tanks to Indonesian Army

  11th March 2024

  The Indonesian National Armed Forces received 52 vehicles during a ceremony in Jakarta including Pandur IIs, Anoa APCs, and Maung and Komodo light tactical vehicles.

• Training

  New Estonian medical training centre to open in 2025

  22nd February 2024

  The total cost of the design and construction contract will be €15 million (US$16.2 million) with a completion deadline of 18 months.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - mini

  Mini Intelligence Drone System (SMDR) [France]

  Background Requirement The French Army identified a need for a new tactical UAS to replace the Drac, which entered service in 2008. The Mini Reconnaissance ...

• Minehunters

  Tripartite Class Replacement Programme (1-6) [Belgium]

  Programme Background A joint Dutch-Belgian procurement programme is procuring 12 new Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMV) to replace the ageing Tripartite-class MCM, which are due to ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Skeldar V-200 [Netherlands]

  Background Joint Programme For the joint MCM programme between Belgium and the Netherlands, the Dutch Ministry of Defence issued a notice in 2018, calling for ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Skeldar V-200 [Belgium]

  Background Joint Programme For the joint MCM programme between Belgium and the Netherlands, the Dutch Ministry of Defence issued a notice in 2018, calling for ...

• Minehunters

  Tripartite Class Replacement Programme [Netherlands]

  Programme Background A joint Dutch-Belgian procurement programme is procuring 12 new Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMV) to replace the ageing Tripartite class MCM's which are due ...

• Minehunters

  Project SEA 1905 - MMCMMS [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements Australia is looking to acquire up to eight new advanced mine countermeasures/hydrographic survey vessels under the Project SEA 1905 Maritime Mine Countermeasures ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Project Sea 1000 (Attack Class) - Cancelled [Australia]

  Programme Background The competition for Australia’s SEA 1000 Future Submarine project for 12 new SSKs was won by the French shipbuilder Naval Group in 2016 ...

• OPVs

  Patrouilleurs Hauturiers OPVS (formerly Patrouilleurs Océanique) [France]

  Background Requirements The programme aims to procure new OPVs that will replace the D'Estienne d'Orves-class and the Flamant-class vessels. The OPVs are intended to be armed with ...

• Corvettes

  Multirole Corvette Programme [Romania]

  Programme Background Timeline Romania, since 2014. has seen a significant increase in its defence budget, which has allowed for more room to procure modern platforms. In ...

• Military UAS - small

  HT-100 (January 2026) [UAE]

  Background January 2024 Order In January 2024, EDGE Group announced that the UAE Ministry of Defence (MoD) had signed a deal for 200 uncrewed helicopters ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  HT-750 (January 2026) [UAE]

  Background January 2024 Order In January 2024, EDGE Group announced that the UAE Ministry of Defence (MoD) had signed a deal for 200 uncrewed helicopters ...

• Loitering munitions

  Warmate 3.0 [South Korea]

  Programme Background Korean Reports On 3 September 2024, The Korea Economic Daily, nicknamed Hankyung, reported that the South Korean military was to introduce Polish loitering ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Orka class (WRES) (1-4) [Netherlands]

  Background Timeline The initial plan under the Walrus Replacement Programme (WRES) was to have new vessels in service by 2025. However, this date was first ...

• Minehunters

  Al Jawf Class Replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Navy urges the replacement of three Al Jawf-class minehunters. Based on the Sandown-class design, the ships entered service in the early ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  SNLE 3G (1-4) [France]

  Programme Background Requirements Included in the 2019-2025 Military Plan Law is the replacement of the four Le Triomphant-class SSBNs with four third-generation SSBNs (SNLE 3G) beginning ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  A9-M

  The A9-M is a light, man-portable AUV, enabling deployment from small craft and in shallow water as a hand-launched vehicle. It is developed Exail. This AUV ...

• Military - USVs, Military - UUVs

  UMIS

  UMIS (Unmanned MCM Information System), unveiled at Euronaval 2016, uses a collaborative system of surface and underwater robots. The UMIS MCM deploys AUVs carrying the ...

• Light UGVs

  Cobra Mk2

  The Cobra Mk2 is a 5kg UGV designed for EOD/IED disposal and CBRN operations. The modular architecture of the Cobra Mk2 E supports different types of ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Scorpene Class

  The Chilean Scorpene-class were procured from the consortium composed of Naval Group and Navantia in the late 1990s. The submarines, which were delivered between 2005 and ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  I4 Drone

  The I4 Drone is a multi-drone, multi-environment mission system for naval drones. It has been designed and developed by Naval Group (formerly DCNS) for an ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  IT180

  The Infotron IT180 VTOL mini-UAS is designed to perform a range of missions in civilian and military sectors, such as surveillance, site protection, inspection, pollution ...

• Military - USVs

  Inspector 90

  The Inspector 90 is a multipurpose USV designed by Exail, able to be operated in autonomous mode, remoted control or onboard steering. Its performances and ...

• Military - UUVs

  K-Ster C

  K-Ster C is a mine disposal system (MDS) equipped with a tiltable warhead. It is produced by Exail and in-service with navies in both Asia ...

• Military - UUVs

  K-Ster I

  K-Ster I is a lightweight, self-propelled ROV developed for mine warfare applications. It is designed by Exail to complement their K-Ster C model.

• Minehunters

  City Class

  Twelve new Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVs) are being built to replace the ageing Tripartite-class MCMVs due to retire from service in 2023. The programme is ...

• Military - UUVs

  A18-M

  The A18-M AUV is a configuration of ECA Group’s A18 AUV family, dedicated to military applications. With magnetic and acoustic signatures compliant to STANAG 1364, ...

• Light UGVs

  TSR 202

  The TSR 202 is a UGV in service with French forces and other military and police forces around the world for EOD/IED detection and neutralisation, ...

• Military UAS - small, Military UAS - tactical

  Nomad (Group 3)

  In March 2025, Sikorsky unveiled an unnamed tail-sitter small UAV referred to as the Rotor Blown Wing. In October 2025, Sikorsky unveiled the Nomad family, which includes the ...

• Ground control stations

  MAMBA

  MAMBA is an IED and CBRN countermeasures system allowing the transport, deployment and control of UGVs or UAVs in hostile areas. A light manned vehicle ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ECA Flight Training Device

  ECA offers a range of Flight Training Devices (FTDs), each of which is a life-size 3D replica of the cockpit. They provide flexibility of training methods and ...