• Defence Notes

  Farnborough 2018: Lockheed, Rafael look to spice things up in US

  19th July 2018

  Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are teaming up to push Rafael's Smart, Precise Impact and Cost-Effective (SPICE) missile guidance kits to the US …

• Military Logistics

  India delivers Do-228 aircraft to Seychelles

  29th June 2018

  The Indian government has handed over a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Do-228 aircraft to the Seychelles, HAL announced on 26 June. The aircraft will enhance the …

• Military Logistics

  Teledyne receives TWT maintenance work

  10th July 2018

  Teledyne Wireless has received a sole source contract from the US Naval Supply Systems Command for the maintenance and repair of traveling wave tubes used …

• Naval Warfare

  RIMPAC gets under way in southern California

  16th July 2018

  The southern California portion of the international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise has got under way, led by the US Navy’s Naval Surface and …

• Defence Notes

  North Korea begins dismantling rocket test site

  24th July 2018

  North Korea has started dismantling some facilities at its main satellite launch station, seen as the testing ground for its intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to expert …

• Naval Warfare

  New Zealand becomes Poseidon’s next consort

  9th July 2018

  The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) will get four new Boeing P-8A Poseidon MPAs to enhance its surveillance capability, with the government approving the …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Why is China tucking into Africa?

  11th July 2018

  There is a lot of hysteria concerning Chinese inroads into the African continent. For example, Hilary Clinton warned back in 2011: ‘We don’t want to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo, PGZ sign LOI on AW249 helicopter

  13th July 2018

  Leonardo and PGZ have teamed to collaborate on the AW249 helicopter to be offered for the Polish Army’s combat helicopter requirement. Under a newly signed …

• Special Operations

  Fuerzas Comando begins for Latin American SOF

  17th July 2018

  The Latin American special operations community has come together to conduct the 2018 iteration of the annual Fuerzas Comandocompetition in Panama.Due to run from 16-26 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI’s Guardian demonstrated in Japan

  25th June 2018

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI) Guardian RPA has concluded large-scale demonstration flights in Japan, the company announced on 21 June. The flights, which took place …

• Land Warfare

  Singapore’s SPYDER attains FOC

  9th July 2018

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Surface-to-air PYthon-5 and DERby (SPYDER) ground-based air defence system has achieved full operational capability, the government of Singapore announced …

• Naval Warfare

  ESG completes FCDR of Offshore Patrol Cutter

  12th July 2018

  Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) has successfully conducted the final critical design review (FCDR) with the US Coast Guard for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) programme, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment selected to compete for UAS support

  12th July 2018

  AeroVironment is among seven suppliers selected by the US Army to compete for small UAS sustainment task orders under a five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity …

• Digital Battlespace

  Protivnik-GE radars delivered in Russia

  2nd July 2018

  Rosoboronexport's fifth generation 59NE Protivnik-GE universal mobile 3D radar station has entered service with Russian military air defence units in the Central Military District, the …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG awards Minotaur retrofit option

  26th June 2018

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded a contract option worth around $3.6 million to L3 Technologies Integrated Systems Platform Integration Division for Minotaur missionisation …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Seeker 400 - First Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 650 ISR - UAE

  Programme Background In February 2019 at IDEX, the UAE announced that it will procure a new special mission aircraft with an option for the second ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Acquisition of an Initial Depth Support Drone Capacity (ADAPT) [France]

  Background Aftermath of SDT To fill the capability void left by the cancellation of the second section of the Tactical Drone System (SDT) programme, three ...

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

  Seeker 400 - Second Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

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

  Chinese UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Background Request for Proposals (RFP) In 2023, as reported by Shephard at the time, the Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information ...

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

  Jump 20 [Denmark]

  Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period between ...

• ISR/special mission

  ISTAR Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background 2018 - Issue of RfI The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated that Seoul planned to procure additional aircraft to minimise potential surveillance ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [Japan]

  Background Selection and contract award In 2015, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 [Italy]

  Programme Background Initial Procurement Italy submitted a $330 million FMS request through the Defence Security Cooperation Agency for four MQ-9A aircraft, four GCS and five ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (First Batch) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Acquisition Decision The Netherlands cancelled a project to procure a MALE UAV in 2007. Six years later, in 2013, it was revealed the Dutch ...

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

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

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

  Gladius [Poland]

  Programme Background Contract Signing On 6 May 2022, the Minister of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, the president of the WB GROUP, Piotr Wojciechowski and the head ...

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

  Tactical UCAV [Czechia]

  Programme Background Inception In November 2017, the Chief of Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) announced that the service had earmarked CZK1 billion ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/APY-10

  The AN/APY-10 is an airborne maritime surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. It is designed to equip the USN'S Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and has ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APS-137B(V)5

  The AN/APS-137B(V)5 is a maritime patrol radar manufactured by Raytheon. It provides both multi-resolution synthetic aperture radar and inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), allowing performance over the ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  TriSAR

  The Tri-mode Synthetic Aperture Radar (TriSAR) is a real-time, high-resolution land and maritime surveillance radar designed by Array Systems Computing in Canada. It is suited ...

• Air: helicopter radar

  AN/DPY-1 Lynx Block 30

  The multi-mode AN/DPY-1 Lynx Block 30 is a reduced weight, power and volume variant of the AN/APY-8. It is a high-resolution, wide-area surveillance, Ku-band synthetic ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Seaspray 7500E V2

  The Seaspray 7500E V2 is a long-range, maritime-focused multi-mode surveillance radar produced by Leonardo and manufactured in the UK. The system can rapidly interleave radar modes ...

• Subsystems: software

  Radar Simulation Systems

  The Digital Radar Landmass Simulator (DRLMS) model accurately simulates real-world terrain and cultural feature returns, as well as weather patterns and targets. Configurable parameters allow ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APY-3

  The AN/APY-3 is a large, phased-array, ground surveillance, side-looking airborne radar with synthetic aperture radar/moving target indication (MTI) capability. It is the primary sensor of ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  TacSAR

  The Tactical Synthetic Aperture Radar (TacSAR) is an airborne reconnaissance system designed by Collins Aerospace (now part of Raytheon). It is intended for land and ...

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

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  MOSAIC

  The MOSAIC is a three-dimensional, AESA-based, multi-mode surveillance radar manufactured by Telephonics. It is designed for maritime, littoral and overland surveillance missions for rotary- and fixed-wing ...

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

  Black Swan

  The Black Swan is a cargo-carrying drone manufactured by Dronamic.  In February 2026, the company released the Detect & Defend version, a military variant of the platform ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  ASTOR

  The Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) is abattlefield surveillance synthetic aperture radar/moving target indication (MTI) system installed in the UK RAF's Raytheon SentinelR1 aircraft, a version ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Seaspray 7300E V2

  The Seaspray 7300E V2 radar is an airborne, maritime, multi-mode surveillance radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is designed for the detection of small maritime targets in ...