• Defence Notes

  Saudi Arabia eyes large procurement spend as it boosts 2025 defence budget to $78 billion

  11th February 2025

  The new figure is an increase from US$75.8 billion in 2024 and showcases the country’s focus on its Saudi Vision 2030 to achieve a diversified and sustainable economy, reducing the Kingdom’s dependency on oil.

• Land Warfare

  Future of the US Army’s IVAS programme remains unknown

  4th February 2025

  Despite recently releasing an Request for Information (RfI) under the IVAS programme, it remains unclear if the US Army will recompete the initiative.

• Naval Warfare

  Admiral Franchetti acknowledges importance of XLUUVs on Orca visit

  9th December 2024

  The US chief of naval operations made the comments on a visit to Boeing’s Orca XLUUV.

• Digital Battlespace

  Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)

  26th February 2025

  In today’s contested operational environment, adaptability is key. The new Geospatial-Intelligence as a Service (GEO IaaS) solution from Fujitsu and MAIAR empowers militaries by enabling intelligence advantage, combining advanced technology with human expertise to deliver actionable insights.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force announces mission designation for Anduril and GA-ASI’s CCA prototypes

  4th March 2025

  The news follows confirmation from GA-ASI that it will fly its CCA prototype this year and signals the next step in the collaborative combat aircraft programme.

• Air Warfare

  Japan selects T-6 Texan II for pilot training

  31st January 2025

  The T-6 Texan II aircraft will replace the Fuji/Subaru T-7 aircraft in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

• Air Warfare

  Swarm drones and CCAs take flight in India

  14th March 2025

  India reaches new milestones as it pushes it unmanned combat and surveillance strategy forward.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea chooses LIG Nex1 for reconnaissance USV

  24th December 2024

  The uncrewed surface vessel was secured with a DAPA contract.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: GM presents Next Generation Tactical Vehicle as testing drives changes

  13th February 2025

  Key features of the General Motors (GM) Defense Next Generation Tactical Vehicle (Next Gen) is its silent drive mode of operation, its low acoustic signature and its capability to have exportable power.

• Naval Warfare

  Chinese Navy commissions first Type 054B frigate

  23rd January 2025

  The commissioning comes just two years after the modules for the hull were first seen – and the US is watching.

• Land Warfare

  Successful firing by US Army of Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile

  13th December 2024

  The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is the US Army’s next generation long-range surface-to-surface missile, capable of neutralising targets out as far as 500km.

• Land Warfare

  Final two contenders for key £2 billion British Army training contract selected

  18th February 2025

  The two remaining bidders for the flagship Army Collective Training Service (ACTS) contract will move on to the next 20-week phase to select the British Army's Strategic Training Partner.

• Land Warfare

  Six HIMARS rocket launchers to arrive in Estonia by mid-2025

  22nd January 2025

  Lockheed Martin has handed over six new HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems to Estonia, which will “soon” be ready to be integrated into the country’s defence forces’ arsenal.

• Land Warfare

  Germany signs work agreement for Patria 6x6 vehicle under CAVS programme

  31st January 2025

  The agreement is a further development in a programme which has seen dozens of vehicles ordered by partner countries in the last year.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army Aviation targets increased UAS and CUAS capabilities

  13th September 2024

  Despite claiming there was no need for a drone corps, Army Aviation remains ready to address UAS and CUAS warfighter requirements, as it focuses on adaptability and rapid deployment across all levels of warfare.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C Carrier Variant

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Fighter - naval

  Future Naval Fighter China

  The PLAN started development work in 2011 for the Type 075 with the aim of increasing the "vertical" amphibious assault capability, with the mountainous East ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  US Navy has ordered 122 F-35B aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 202 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 10 and 17 per year ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  VTOL UAV [New Zealand]

  Background Defence Capability Plan (DCP) In April 2025, the New Zealand government published the DCP, a document that is essentially a blueprint for what procurements ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Surface-to-air missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  RIM-174 Standard ERAM SM-6 Block I/IA

  The SM-6 (RIM-174 Standard ERAM) is a surface-to-air supersonic missile launched from cruisers and destroyers, capable of successfully engaging crewed and uncrewed, fixed- or rotary-wing ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Cumulus One

  Cumulus One is an autonomous fixed-wing drone manufactured by Sky-Watch. The aircraft’s structure is made from carbon fibre and Kevlar. The system has mission planning ...

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

• EO/IR systems

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder is a surveillance system with a laser rangefinder. Performance includes 1/3in charge-coupled device colour sensor, NTSC or PAL format. Resolution ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Super Komar

  The Super Komar is an upgraded version of the Komar, featuring digital signal processing. Air-to-air modes include boresight, head-up display search, look-up/down, range-while-search, track-while-scan (TWS) and vertical manoeuvre. ...

• Military - UUVs

  Roving Bat

  The Roving Bat is a multipurpose, hybrid ROV and crawler built by Exail. It is designed for close inspection and cleaning operations of immersed vertical structures ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Sylver A-50

  The SYstème de Lancement VERtical (Sylver) A-50 is a vertical launching system (VLS) developed by DCNS (now Naval Group) to deploy medium- to long-range surface-to-air ...