• Naval Warfare

  Sea Venom/ANL completes second firing

  4th June 2018

  MBDA has successfully completed the second development firing of the Sea Venom/Anti-Navire Léger (ANL) missile, MBDA announced on 31 May. The missile was fired from …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Russia banking on drone cash transport

  8th June 2018

  Sberbank, a large Russian Bank, is set to be the launch customer for Russian Helicopters’ new VRT300 VTOL UAV. The bank intends to use the …

• Defence Notes

  US releases ‘Mad Dog’ at Shangri-La

  5th June 2018

  US Defense Secretary James Mattis failed to placate China’s fears that the US government, under the Trump administration, was taking China as a serious existential …

• Digital Battlespace

  ViaSat-2 SATCOM services now available

  4th June 2018

  ViaSat's newly-launched ViaSat-2 SATCOM service is now available for government and military applications, Viasat announced on 30 May. The ultra-high-capacity ViaSat-2 offers improved reach, readiness …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2018: Naval Special Warfare enhances surface craft lethality

  28th May 2018

  While traditionally used to support infiltration and exfiltration of US Naval Special Warfare (NSW) elements, USSOCOM’s maritime surface mobility craftare now being explored as possible …

• Naval Warfare

  US Marines commander at Japan base sacked

  5th June 2018

  The Commanding Officer at a US Marine base on the Japanese island of Okinawa has been fired over a ‘loss of trust,’ the US Marines …

• Training

  QinetiQ launches Rattler target

  1st June 2018

  QinetiQ has developed a new Rattler ground air launched supersonic aerial target, the company announced on 29 May. Rattler can accurately replicate anti-radiation missiles and …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe 2018: Geopolitics fuels EW advances

  31st May 2018

  Widely considered to be the 'fifth domain' of warfare, developing technology that will deliver the competitive edge against adversaries in the electromagnetic spectrum is being …

• Naval Warfare

  NUSHIP Brisbane completes CAT 5 trials

  1st June 2018

  The Royal Australian Navy’s incoming Hobart class guided missile destroyer, NUSHIP Brisbane, has completed its Category 5 sea trials off the coast of Adelaide, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Coast Guard ultimately selects ScanEagle for cutters

  7th June 2018

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has finally announced that the Insitu ScanEagle will be used to fulfil the small UAS requirement for its National Security …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norwegian emergency response UAS project detailed

  18th May 2018

  Andøya Space Center, Telenor and Robot Aviation have teamed up to develop and test an emergency response UAS, Andøya announced on 16 May. The new …

• Naval Warfare

  Vietnam starts building sub rescue vessel

  7th June 2018

  A keel laying ceremony has recently been held for the Vietnam People’s Navy’s first submarine rescue vessel.  The ceremony for the 4,000t ship took place …

• Naval Warfare

  NAWCAD awards radar contract for USCG C-27Js

  14th May 2018

  The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division has awarded an IDIQ contract to Telephonics Corporation for multi-mode radar systems, the US Coast Guard announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thailand rolls out first upgraded F-5ST

  30th May 2018

  The first prototype of the upgraded F-5 Super Tigris (F-5ST), completed by Elbit Systems, has been delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). ACM …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal launches first Guardian-class PPB

  1st June 2018

  Austal has launched the first of 21 Guardian-class Pacific Patrol Boats (PPB), the company announced on 30 May. The boats are being built under Australia's …

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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme 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 - 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 ...

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

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

  Programme Background First Batch Following a cancelled MALE UAV project in 2007, the Dutch MOD revealed its intention to acquire four MQ-9A Reapers from General ...

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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 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 ...