• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin wins three new DoD naval contracts including on Littoral Combat Ships

  28th February 2025

  Lockheed Martin has won contracts and contract modifications on systems and platforms ranging from missile systems and naval helicopters to Littoral Combat Ships.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy to explore integration of LRASMs on F-15E and F-15EX aircraft

  13th January 2025

  The contract opportunity, spearheaded by Naval Air Systems Command, intends to integrate and test the AGM-158C missile on the aircraft platform.

• Air Warfare

  US Congress limits F-35 procurement

  20th December 2024

  Restrictions cover new purchases of the three variants of the multirole fighter and require the DoD to correct issues in the acquisition programme.

• Air Warfare

  Dassault considers boosting Indian presence to support future Rafale production

  11th March 2025

  Discussion of any new production line in India would reportedly be for the F5 jet, although India is also closing in on cementing a deal for 26 Rafale-M aircraft for its Navy.

• Land Warfare

  Australia and Singapore open expanded training area in Queensland

  15th November 2024

  Australia and Singapore have expanded Queensland’s Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA), adding advanced facilities and technologies to support larger, longer joint military exercises under their ongoing strategic partnership.

• Naval Warfare

  Type 23 Duke-class frigate HMS St Albans completes mid-life refit

  2nd December 2024

  HMS St Albans’ refit included an update in FOST training to help staff adapt to new technology and routines.

• Air Warfare

  India moves to address fighter jet shortfalls amid rising regional pressures

  4th April 2025

  Delays, dwindling squadrons and global competition spur belated momentum in airpower procurement.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed wins $8.7 million contract for Singapore F-16 upgrades

  21st January 2025

  The contract modification announced by the DSCA, will cover consolidated spares in support of Singapore’s F-16 upgrade programme.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy starts acquisition process for uncrewed maritime systems for support missions

  10th November 2025

  The USN is interested in uncrewed capabilities that can carry out explosive ordnance disposal, mine countermeasures, force protection, ISR and anti-submarine missions.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy expands GARC sUSV deployment

  5th May 2025

  The small, unmanned surface vehicle will operate this year in multiple operations and military exercises worldwide.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy moves quickly with uncrewed vessels and industry follows

  23rd June 2025

  The US Navy (USN) is evolving into a hybrid fleet with uncrewed systems supporting crewed vessels and companies working to provide new solutions. In the case of Ocean Aero, its Triton uncrewed surface vessel can also be used underwater.

• Defence Notes

  Ireland to increase defence capital spending by more than half to $2 billion

  23rd July 2025

  Ireland has struggled to meet its defence needs in the face of historical underinvestment, current limited funding and its status as a neutral country. Flush with bonus but possibly unreliable tax receipts, the government has committed additional defence capital spending for the rest of the decade.

• Air Warfare

  UK RAF Wedgetail AEW&C completes first flight

  23rd September 2024

  The future UK E-7 fleet will operate from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland and the inaugural test flight is of one of three aircraft currently under modification in Birmingham, UK, where the flight took off from.

• Naval Warfare

  US approves $900 million missile sale to the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force

  3rd February 2025

  The sale would advance the JMSDF’s ability to protect its assets and maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Naval Warfare

  Havelsan sells ADVENT CMS into Chilean Navy frigates

  2nd April 2025

  The system is intended to add enhanced operational precision to two ageing vessels.

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 ...

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

  Loyal Wingman [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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Project SEA 3000 [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

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 ...

• 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 MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its first ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).