• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus pushes Racer derivative for NGRC and European independence

  9th June 2022

  Will a solution based on the Rapid and Cost-Efficient Rotorcraft demonstrator offer next-generation capabilities for NATO members seeking to replace about 1,000 helicopters in 2035-2040?

• Air Warfare

  Where is the Russian Air Force? (Opinion)

  28th March 2022

  Despite its reputation, the Russian Air Force has failed to make significant advances in Ukraine — but the lessons that will be likely to emerge will be applicable to all.

• Naval Warfare

  India tests NASM-SR from helicopter for first time

  20th May 2022

  India is developing a new helicopter-launched anti-ship missile, which could be integrated on MH-60R helicopters on order from the US

• Naval Warfare

  NATO navies play crucial background role in Ukrainian war (Opinion)

  20th April 2022

  Although NATO navies have not intervened directly against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the alliance increased its readiness and strengthened its maritime posture.

• Air Warfare

  India looks to add to its depleting Su-30 fleet

  31st March 2022

  India claims the war in Ukraine will not adversely impact its Su-30MKI, a backbone fighter, but that remains to be seen.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: Texelis bridges the old and the new with Serval chassis

  15th June 2022

  Hybridisation and electric-drive technologies come to the fore at Eurosatory 2022 with the MR400 Mobility Solution from Texelis.

• Land Warfare

  Polaris broadens use cases for tracked MRZR Alpha

  31st May 2022

  The design of the tracked version of the MRZR Alpha vehicle, originally intended for Arctic mobility, has been refined to cope with soft soil and mixed terrain.

• Land Warfare

  Australia eyes up laser target designators

  22nd February 2022

  Leonardo will provide laser target designators as part of the Australian Project Land 17 Phase 2 programme.

• Digital Battlespace

  Collins Aerospace - Connecting the Edge Across All Domains (Sponsored)

  1st April 2022

  As the battlespace becomes increasingly more contested and complex, maintaining advantage over the adversary requires integrating operations across the joint force in all warfighting domains.

• Air Warfare

  UAE set to buy a dozen L-15As with scope for more

  9th March 2022

  If a contract materialises for an initial 12 L-15A light attack aircraft, it would be the first time the UAE orders crewed military aircraft from China.

• Defence Notes

  WDS 2022: Saudi firms continue push towards Vision 2030

  10th March 2022

  While the Saudi defence sector continues its push to contribute to the national Vision 2030 economic modernisation programme, contracts awarded during WDS 2022 reveal there is still a role for international companies as well.

• Land Warfare

  US Army tests Raytheon/Kord 50kW-class high energy laser weapon

  17th May 2022

  The US Army concluded an operational assessment with the Raytheon/Kord 50kW-class high energy laser integrated on a Stryker combat vehicle at White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico). The system defeated multiple 60mm mortar rounds.

• Air Warfare

  India finally approves production of combat helicopters

  5th April 2022

  Approval to produce indigenous combat helicopters has been a long time coming for HAL, but it now has a green light for limited series production.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock eyes a bigger slice of the Australian naval sustainment market

  15th February 2022

  Babcock is buying out its partner in the Naval Ship Management JV.

• Air Warfare

  New UK strategic agreement focuses on next-generation airborne countermeasures

  9th May 2022

  The evolving threat posed by guided missiles has prompted the RAF and UK MoD to sign a strategic partnering agreement with Chemring Countermeasures UK.

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 ...

• 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 - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (5-6) [Australia]

  Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated GCS. ...

• 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 ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (13-14) [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 ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Background Goal As stated by the Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney, in March 2022, the Ghost Bat will be an "operational system ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  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 2021 Royal ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  Air-5416 Project Echidna was an initiative launched in 2001 by BAE Systems for the Australian DoD. Its goal was to overhaul the self protection systems ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• AMAS

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

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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). ...

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  M Solar-X

  First revealed in August 2020, in February 2024, at its symposium, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) showcased the M Solar-X. This solar-powered fixed-wing drone was ...

• 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 ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...