• Air Warfare

  June drone digest: Landmark CCA contract and deep-strike capability flourishes at Eurosatory

  29th June 2026

  June 2026 saw the landmark acquisition of the first fighter-type Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), while the month also hosted Eurosatory, which showcased deep-strike capabilities and production deals with the civilian industry.

• Air Warfare

  Lithuania air focus: Majority of $235.98 million drone investment to be spent before 2030

  4th May 2026

  Lithuania has committed significant funding towards expanding its UAV capabilities, with more than $54 million already spent and substantial additional investment planned through to 2029. Alongside domestic procurement, the country has also acquired various drones to support Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  With changing patterns in Middle Eastern procurement, is Europe missing out?

  21st October 2026

  Traditional suppliers are struggling to meet the Middle East’s armoured vehicle modernisation needs, creating opportunities for South Korean manufacturers and regional defence industries.

• Naval Warfare

  Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America

  1st June 2026

  With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2025: Boeing emphasises uncrewed teaming capability plans for F-15EX

  17th November 2025

  The F-15EX is being promoted by the manufacturer as an ideal platform to pair with uncrewed systems.

• Air Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years

  18th June 2026

  Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.

• Naval Warfare

  India’s mine countermeasure drive triggers rush of new partnerships

  17th July 2026

  Parallel procurement pathways for crewed mine countermeasure vessels and uncrewed systems underline a shift towards next-generation mine warfare for the Indian Navy.

• Air Warfare

  Denmark air focus: $2.64 billion UAV market blends US imports with Nordic cooperation

  14th April 2026

  While Denmark appears to be more committed to UAVs than most of its Nordic neighbours, its procurement efforts are likely to be split between American-made systems for its larger requirements and Nordic partnerships for smaller platforms.

• Air Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up

  19th June 2026

  Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.

• Air Warfare

  NATO expands high-altitude intelligence capability with MQ-4C Triton purchase

  8th July 2026

  The proposed drone acquisition is intended to form part of a distributed structure of surveillance capabilities, complementing systems such as the RQ-4D Global Hawks already acquired by NATO.

• Land Warfare

  Coming to America: companies look to tap into US with multi-domestic strategy

  26th October 2026

  Non-US companies are increasingly looking to establish subsidiary and partnerships to access the potential billions of dollars of vehicle and land systems contracts and there has already been some success.

• Naval Warfare

  Global submarine suppliers compete for a rapidly shrinking market

  2nd September 2026

  Diminishing submarine competitions worldwide are leaving fewer acquisition opportunities, pushing contractors toward alternatives.

• Air Warfare

  AUSA 2026: New multiwarhead loitering munition enters increasingly competitive market

  12th October 2026

  Heaviside Industries has unveiled its new Tyr loitering munition at AUSA 2026 in Washington, DC, joining a growing field of manufacturers seeking to capitalise on billions of dollars in anticipated military spending.

• Air Warfare

  September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper

  30th September 2026

  The loss of many MQ-9 Reapers during the 2026 Iran War has underscored the risks of sending relatively expensive UAVs into contested airspace. In September, new contenders to replace the Reaper emerged, championing cheaper, modular aircraft designs for mass production and inevitable attrition.

• Air Warfare

  Electric and hybrid aerial drone fleets are expanding their footprint

  30th March 2026

  Advances in uncrewed aerial vehicles powered by renewable technologies are coming to the fore, with battery, hydrogen and solar propulsion challenging traditional fossil fuel-dependent models.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Adaptable Aerial Platforms (AAP) [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  T129B [Philippines]

  Programme Background On 31 August 2019, it was announced that the Philippines National Defence Acquisition Decision Memorandum continues with the T-129 procurement. However, on 30 April ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  KF-21 Loyal Wingman [South Korea]

  Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea’s Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and F-5E/F fighters in the ROKAF. ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Background Initial FMS request Morocco placed a request in 2019 with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Embarked VTOL UAV [South Korea]

  Background VTOL Development In January 2024, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it would commence development of a VTOL-capable rotary-wing UAV to be ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Project Land 4503 [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian Army has begun its search for a successor to the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with an RfI issued by the ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [Morocco]

  Background Initial FMS request Morocco placed a request in 2019 with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [UK]

  Background According to the MoD, to further ‘guarantee value for money’ systems from the current Apache fleet such as the Modernised Target Acquisition & Designation ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache add on [Israel]

  Background Capability gap Before 7 October 2023, the Israeli MoD was planning to decommission a portion of its AH-64 fleet due to age, but changed ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Air Force)

  Programme Background The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede them to ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [Israel]

  Background Capability gap Before 7 October 2023, the Israeli MoD was planning to decommission a portion of its AH-64 fleet due to age, but changed ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Camcopter S-300 [South Korea]

  Programme Background Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) On 18 January 2023, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Northop Grumman at a ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Kruk / AH-64E Apache [Poland]

  Background Requirement history In May 2019, Wojciech Skurkiewicz, the Polish deputy defence, released some details on the helicopter programme. Part of Poland's broader defence modernisation plan, ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement South Korea saught to replace its ageing Bell AH-1F/S Cobra fleet with modern alternatives, almost certainly the AH-64E, although the ROKA originally proposed to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini

  MUM-T

  The Military Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) is a UAS in development by Korean Aerospace Industries. Showcased at Seoul ADEX 2021, the MUM-T can be launched from the ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  T-022 Vortex

  Announced in June 2026, the T-022 Vortex, developed by UK-based MGI Engineering, is a high-speed Autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (ACCA). It is a fixed-wing UAV ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Demogorgon

  In late October 2021, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded Kratos Unnamed Systems Division an initial $17.68 million 12-month cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop an Off-Board Sensing ...

• Loitering munitions

  Air Launched Effect (ALE)

  The Air-Launched Effect (ALE) is an in-development uncrewed platform from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Shown at IDEX 2023, it is set to come in two variants, one ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Arrow

  The Arrow is a supersonic prototype UAV developed by Singapore-based Kelley Aerospace. According to the manufacturer, the 16.8t prototype will be operated as a conventional UAV, ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Uncrewed Checkmate

  At the Dubai Airshow 2021, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the parent company of Checkmate manufacturer Sukhoi Design Bureau, announced its intention to manufacture an uncrewed version of ...

• Military UAS - small

  Koios

  Callen-Lenz manufactures the Koios, a small UAS that is available in VTOL and non-VTOL variants.  Designed for the civil and military market, as standard, the ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Defender

  The Defender is a jet-powered uncrewed escort aircraft built by GA-ASI. The primary goal of the UAV is to protect high-value airborne assets, such as refuelling ...

• Land: handheld NV devices, Land: handheld day observation/surveillance and targeting systems, Weapon sights for night use (image intensifiers)

  MUM-14

  The Multi-Use Mini-Monocular (MUM-14) is a modular, passive NVD designed to maintain situation awareness in a range of low-light conditions, utilising a single Gen III ...

• Data links

  Micro TMA

  Thales Micro TMA is a high-rate datalink designed for uncrewed platforms and video streaming applications from aircraft. It provides command and control functions as well ...

• Light UGVs

  X Series

  The X Series is a family of UGVs developed by the UK's DCE. Utilising a modular design, the X Series can be configured for a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Mighty Hornet IV

  Unveiled in September 2025, the Mighty Hornet IV is a development of the MQM-178 target drone designed for attack missions. Kratos and the National Chung-Shan Institute ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MUCCA

  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is developing the MUCCA, a medium cooperative uncrewed fighter to potentially operate alongside the Republic of Korea Air Force's (ROKAF) KF-21 ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Havoc 8x8 RCV

  The Havoc 8x8 Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) is a heavy UGV currently being developed by Milrem. It is expected to enter production in 2028 or ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Light Armed Helicopter

  The South Korean government selected Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in July 2014 to develop the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) and the related Light Civil Helicopter ...