• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI Israel: Lessons learned generate mature UK UAV solutions

  20th March 2012

  A British Army officer has claimed that the UK’s fleet of UAVs are now being effectively controlled in Afghanistan following previous errors made in their …

• Defence Notes

  RT pursues civil aerostat capability

  20th March 2012

  Aeronautics subsidiary RT is preparing to take its Skystar 180 and 300 aerostats to Nimes, France on 24 March to evaluate its transition from a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Schiebel announces heavy fuel flight

  13th March 2012

  A heavy-fuel variant of a Camcopter S-100 UAS completed its maiden flight on 12 March, manufacturer Schiebel has announced. The UAS was flown at the …

• Digital Battlespace

  TRACER goes operational with SOUTHCOM

  22nd February 2012

  The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has deployed Lockheed Martin's Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar (TRACER) following operational demonstrations. According to Lockheed Martin, the sensor which …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SGA2012: Chinese VTOL readies for open market

  16th February 2012

  Beijing Yotaisc Technology Development is preparing to bring its X200 vertical take-off/landing (VTOL) UAV to the market in September, company officials have stated. Speaking to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SGA2012: Japanese companies exhibit VTOL UAV prototypes

  15th February 2012

  Aoki Best-Tech has unveiled a prototype of its quad tilt-rotor VTOL UAV for the first time as company executives predict that is nearing completion. Speaking …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2012: X3 being prepared for US tour

  12th February 2012

  Eurocopter is set to tour its X3 compound helicopter in the United States and demo the technology to the US Army, it has been revealed. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aurora wins AFRL contract

  16th December 2011

  Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Rapid Reaction Technology Office contract to supply the Skate Small Unmanned Aerial System …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris expands RF-7800T ISR capabilities

  2nd December 2011

  Harris Corporation is expanding the capabilities of its RF-7800T Situational Awareness Video Receiver (SAVR) with the Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Digital Data Link (SUAS-DDL) waveform. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  TiaLinx releases new Phoenix50-A SUAS

  21st November 2011

  TiaLinx has announced the release of its software-defined multi-function radar sensor implemented in its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platform. Called the Phoenix50-A VTOL Small …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zala announces development of new small VTOL UAV

  21st October 2011

  Zala Aero Group announced on 21 October that it plans to launch a new micro VTOL UAS by March next year. The company said that …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UMAT takes off from Federal Police ship

  20th October 2011

  On 16 September ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH together with Swiss UAV AG and the Federal Police successfully conducted experimental flights with the Unmanned Mission Avionics …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zala Aero upgrades UAS to HD video payloads

  13th October 2011

  Zala Aero has announced today that it plans to launch an upgraded ZALA 421-E16 UAS. This new upgrade includes the platform having the latest digital …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MUSIC 2011: UGCS to be fielded with Shadow and Gray Eagle fleets

  23rd September 2011

  The Universal GCS (UGCS) will be integrated into Shadow and Gray Eagle fleets ‘within the year’ following successful testing as part of the Manned Unmanned …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEi 2011: KADDB launches two new unmanned systems

  16th September 2011

  Jordan-based King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) has launched two new types of unmanned system at the DSEi exhibition in London. Speaking to …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Aerosonde (Qatar)

  Programme Background The Qatar MoD has established the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center to carry out ISR missions for the Qatar Armed Forces. Among its roles ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  DEF129 (Small UAS Plus) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The army wanted up to 17 SUAS+ systems with a life of six years. The tender said the UAV would be issued ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  DEF129 (Small UAS) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Australian Army identified a need for a small UAS to provide an organic ISR capability to units operating at the tactical ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Company Level Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (SUAS) Directed Requirement (DR) [US Army]

  Background Requirement The US Army approved the Co-Level SUAS DR acquisition in June 2023 to supply Brigade Combat Teams with an “immediate, commercially available capability” to meet ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Nightwarden (Qatar)

  Programme Background The Qatar MoD has established the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center to carry out ISR missions for the Qatar Armed Forces. Among its roles ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Scorpio 500 [US]

  Background Contract Award In December 2024, XTEND was awarded a US$8.8 million contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for its Scorpio 500. As reported by ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Medium Range Tactical (MRT) [USMC]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) In February 2026, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued an RFI for solutions for a Medium Range Tactical (MRT) ...

• Military UAS - mini

  X10D (Atlantic Diving Supply) [US Army]

  Background Atlantic Diving Supply (ADS) Skydio announced in March 2026 that the US Army had placed a $52 million order to acquire over 2,500 X10D ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  VTOL-Capable Group 2 UAV [USA]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) In March 2026, the USAF issued an RFI seeking a VTOL-capable UAV capable of operating in austere environments to support ...

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

  Onboard Mini-Drone Systems (SMDM) (69-90) [France]

  Background Contract Announcement On 3 February 2026, Airbus, Survey Copter’s parent company, announced that the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) had ordered the Aliaca VTOL variant ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, 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 UAS - rotary-wing, 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 ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Replicator 2 [US]

  Programme Background 1.0 The Replicator programme was a US effort to field thousands of attritable, autonomous systems across multiple domains before the end of 2025 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Aerosonde SUAS

  The Aerosonde SUAS comes from a long line of capable aircraft. The Aerosonde SUAS, like the Aerosonde fleet of aircraft, operates through contractor-owned and operated ...

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

  Aerosonde HQ SUAS

  The Aerosonde Hybrid Quadcopter (HQ) SUAS is the VTOL version of the Aerosonde SUAS. It combines the capabilities of a multi-rotor platform with the efficiency ...

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

  Skylark II

  The Skylark II is a fixed-wing UAV that can be used for various military and security applications, including tactical covert surveillance and reconnaissance, perimeter security ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  CorvoX

  The CorvoX is a fixed-wing drone developed domestically by SYPAQ Systems. Unlike its sibling, the Corvo PPDS, the UAV is not made from cardboard. The drone's development ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  VAPOR CLE

  Unveiled at AUSA 2025, the VAPOR Combat Long Endurance (CLE) is the newest version of AeroVironment's (AV) rotary-wing VAPOR offerings. Compared to the older versions, VAPOR CLE ...

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

  PD-1

  The People’s Drone-1 (PD-1) is a fixed-wing small UAV manufactured by Ukrspecsystems. It is modular and can be given VTOL capability in around 15 minutes. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Skylark I-LEX

  The Skylark I-LEX is a mini-UAV manufactured by Elbit Systems.  Unveiled at the Paris Air Show 2015, the UAV is designed for ISR operations. It enables ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle

  The Honeywell T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is a VTOL sUAS that has been used by the US military and the British Army to assist ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  C-100

  The C-100 is a portable, packable mini rotary-wing UAV designed for long-range ISR and cargo-carrying tasks. Manufactured by Performance Drone Works (PDW), it features swappable payloads, an open ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Thor

  Thor is a VTOL small-UAV manufactured by Elbit Systems. The platform is designed for ISR missions and features a real-time HD data link and unique ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  HPEM

  The High-Power Electro-Magnetics (HPEM) is a C-UAS system developed by Diehl Defence. It is intended to protect both military installations and public events against threats ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Ghost-X

  The Ghost X, or Ghost-X, is an upgraded variant of Anduril's small, rotary-wing Ghost UAV. It features an increased payload capacity and longer flight time ...

• Counter-UAS systems, Land: Defensive Systems - DF systems

  PATS

  The Passive Aerial Threat Surveillance (PATS) sensor produced by Adsys Controls is a detection and tracking system capable of monitoring airspace for extremely low-signature airborne ...

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

  Silent Falcon

  The Silent Falcon is a solar-electric sUAS with long-endurance capabilities for extended-range missions. The UAS can be used for commercial and military applications. The entire ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Penguin B VTOL

  The Penguin B VTOL is a variant of the Penguin B platform manufactured by Edge Autonomy. Announced in June 2021, the variant is a reliable, long-endurance ...