• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk nears U-2 sensor tests

  2nd February 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) and Northrop Grumman will begin flight trials of new sensor payloads for the RQ-4 Global Hawk later this month, officials …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New partnership targets VTOL UAS market

  2nd February 2016

  A new partnership between Hankuk Carbon of Korea and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will target the development and manufacture of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky provides early challenge for Lockheed

  28th January 2016

  Lockheed Martin executives predict a sharp fall in commercial helicopter sales due to the poor state of the oil and gas market. Following the company’s …

• Training

  SAC programme training shifts to UK

  27th January 2016

  C-17 Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) programme aircrew are to be trained at Boeing’s International Training Centre (ITC) in the UK under an $8 million contract …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46A refuels F-16 aircraft

  26th January 2016

  The KC-46A tanker undertook its first refuelling flight on 24 January, with 1,600 pounds of fuel offloaded to an F-16 fighter aircraft 20,000ft above Washington …

• Training

  MilSim Asia: AviationLearn delves into unmanned sector

  26th January 2016

  One of the few domestic companies to exhibit at MilSim Asia 2016 in Singapore was AviationLearn, which is delving more deeply into the unmanned sector. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New UAS-UGV teaming demo

  26th January 2016

  Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Sikorsky have participated in a joint autonomy demonstration to prove the capability of new ground-air cooperative missions, CMU announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Bids due for relaunched Danish artillery competition

  25th January 2016

  Elbit, Nexter and Samsung Techwin are expected to register their interest by 9 February in competing for a contract, potentially worth $145 million, to supply …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon provides Coyote UAS to NOAA

  21st January 2016

  Raytheon is providing its enhanced Coyote UAS to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for hurricane research missions, the company announced on 20 January.  …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Contract award for more French Reapers

  21st January 2016

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been awarded a $43.7 million contract for the production of a MQ-9 Reaper for the French Air Force as part …

• Training

  CyberShield wins cyber simulator order

  20th January 2016

  Elbit Systems' subsidiary Cyberbit will supply an unnamed Asia-Pacific country with its CyberShield-Cyber Security Trainer and Simulator, the company announced on 20 January. The CyberShield …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Saab to deliver UAV to Swedish Police

  18th January 2016

  The Swedish Police has awarded a contract to Saab for the delivery of three UAV systems, it was announced on 13 January.  The system selected …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Talon 120LE UAS awarded COA

  15th January 2016

  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a Section 333 Grant of Exemption and Certificate of Waiver and Authorization (COA) to UAV Solutions for its …

• Naval Warfare

  Rolls-Royce signs Marine Alutech contract

  15th January 2016

  Rolls-Royce will supply 28 waterjets to power the Watercat K13 Fast Intercept Craft (FIC) being built by Marine Alutech for the Royal Oman Police. The …

• Land Warfare

  New Arjun ammunition in testing

  13th January 2016

  Two new ammunition types developed for the Indian Arjun tank have been successfully tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The trials of …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Directed energy weapons

  Project Dragonfire [UK]

  Background The UK Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been working with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ to develop a LASER Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) called ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability - Generation II – High-Power Microwave [US]

  Background In July 2025 Epirus received a US$43,551,060 contract from the US Army for two Generation II systems developed from the HPM (Leonidas). Previously, in ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High-Power Microwave [US]

  Background In May 2024, the US Army took delivery of four High-Powered Microwave (HPM) Directed-Energy Weapons (DEW) to fulfil its Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High-Power ...

• Military UAS - small

  Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an organic, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  U&C reconnaissance drones [US Army]

  Methodology PGO The programme has been assigned a PGO of 100%, as a contract has been awarded. Unit cost It has not been clarified what ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  C-UAS [Portugal]

  Background Portugal's Military Programming Law 2023–2034 includes $8.8724 million (€8.2 million) to acquire counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) by 2034. It is assumed that this acquisition requires ...

• Transport

  C-27J [Azerbaijan]

  Programme Background The Azerbaijani Air Force signed a contract with Leonardo in June 2023 to procure the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft. This move is ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Border C-UAS Defence [Latvia]

  Background Latvia's long-term blueprint for its armed forces lists a comprehensive C-UAS element with an approximate range of three to four km. This programme is ...

• CUAS - jammers

  NEROD RF [France]

  Background France has procured an unconfirmed number of MC2's NEROD RF C-UAS rifles ("fusils brouilleurs") for short-range counter-drone use. In a 2024 Senate report, it ...

• CUAS - jammers

  C-UAS [Taiwan]

  Background Taiwan announced a requirement for portable C-UAS systems with capabilities that include passive detection, takeover, spoofing and jamming. The systems are planned to strengthen ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Finnish Border Guard C-UAS Capability

  Background In response to the growing UAS threat, the Finnish Border Guard was given €44 million for procurements to strengthen drone detection, identification, and countering capabilities. ...

• CUAS - jammers

  C-UAS [Australia]

  Background The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is accelerating the acquisition of state-of-the-art counter-drone technologies through Project LAND 156. The ADF signed a contract with HighCom ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  SAN C-UAS [Poland]

  Background In January 2026, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and its Polish partner Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) signed a contract with the Polish Armaments Agency for the delivery ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  US SOF CUxS (Static) [US]

  Background The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is procuring a Family of Systems (FoS) design to defeat drones. The programme includes development, integration, prototyping, and test of ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  US SOF CUxS (Mounted) [US]

  Background The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is procuring a Family of Systems (FoS) design to defeat drones. The programme includes development, integration, prototyping, and test of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  MEHEL 2.0

  The Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser (MEHEL) is a C-UAS-capable vehicle that employs directed energy to neutralise targets. MEHEL 2.0 was first seen at AUSA 2016, ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Fractl:2

  Fractl:2, developed and manufactured by AIM Defence, is an Australian laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The high-powered portable system is Australia's first acquisition of a directed ...

• CUAS - jammers

  DroneDefender

  DroneDefender is a directed-energy UAS countermeasure that disrupts the adversary's control of the aircraft, neutralising it so that no remote action (including detonation) can occur, ...

• CUAS - jammers

  EJDERHA HPEM System

  The EJDERHA is a high power electromagnetic system manufactured by Aselsan. It generates high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and directs them to potential targets such as IEDs ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Apollo

  Apollo is a High-Energy Laser Weapon System manufactured by Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Apollo's laser utilises directed energy to disable or destroy aerial targets without ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SCATA Mk1

  The SCATA Mk1 is the first military vehicle developed by Finland's SCATA.

• Directed energy weapons

  Leonidas High-Powered Microwave DEW

  Leonardo's US-based subsidiary Epirus has received funding from both the US and Singapore to develop its Leonidas High-Powered Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW).

• Directed energy weapons

  GÖKBERK 10 Laser DEW

  Turkish company ASELSAN's GÖKBERK 10 laser directed-energy weapon (DEW) is designed to destroy cheap, class-I drones. The system is designed to work with other components ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Locust

  BlueHalo's Locust is a laser weapon system. The system delivers a complete kill chain, providing a layered and broadband detection capability that is coupled with electronic ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Minotaur

  Minotaur, developed by Soukos Robots, is a Greek laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). Minotaur is an anti-drone platform with the ability to shoot down unmanned ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  SkyRanger 30

  SkyRanger 30 is a mobile ground-based air defence (GBAD) laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system designed by Rheinmetall. The system comprises automatic cannons, guided missiles, and a ...

• OPVs

  PPA/MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) EVO

  The PPA/MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) EVO is an enhanced version of the Thaon di Revel-class PPAs unveiled at Euronaval 2024. The PPA/MPCS EVO retains the core platform ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Royal Thai Army Laser DEW

  Under Government instructions, the Royal Thai Army is developing a Laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) to counter drones in its border regions. The unit cost ...

• Directed energy weapons

  CROSSBOW MINI

  CROSSBOW MINI, developed by IPG Photonics, is a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). The LDEW has multiple deployable configurations and is a part of the manufacturers ...

• Directed energy weapons

  DIAL

  The Laser Weapon Instrumental Demonstrator (DIAL), in joint development with Indra and Escribano Mechanical Engineering, is a Spanish laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The system ...