• Uncrewed Vehicles

  High five for Phantom Eye

  20th September 2013

  Boeing Phantom Works has conducted the fifth flight test of its Phantom Eye HALE demonstrator, which saw the UAV reach an altitude of 28,000ft. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saab receives IDAS order for Indian ALH

  20th September 2013

  Saab will commence serial production of an integrated electronic warfare self-protection system for installation on the Indian Army’s and Air force’s Advanced Light Helicopter. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman details Triton radar development progress

  19th September 2013

  Northrop Grumman is in the midst of risk-reduction tests of the Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) to be installed on the US Navy’s Triton unmanned aircraft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aurora announces Orion UAS’ first flight

  18th September 2013

  The Orion unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed by Aurora Flight Sciences successfully completed its first flight on 24 August. The company announced the news …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Government body calls for Reaper transparency

  16th September 2013

  A UK government official representing the ‘All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Drones’ has challenged the Ministry of Defence’s use of armed UAVs, calling for …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australian Army Chinooks complete Afghanistan operations

  16th September 2013

  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has announced that Rotary Wing Group – Eight (RWG-8), the Australian Army Aviation Detachment, has officially completed its mission …

• Land Warfare

  US Army RDECOM to evaluate TenCate ABDS

  16th September 2013

  The US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) will evaluate the TenCate ABDS active blast countermeasure system under a multi-year cooperative research and development …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2013: Qinetiq expands Welsh UAV test site

  12th September 2013

  Qinetiq has announced that it has signed a teaming agreement with Llanbedr Airfield Estates in Wales to incorporate its airfield as a UAV operations centre. …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2013: Elbit releases next-gen jammer

  11th September 2013

  Elbit Systems has introduced a new generation of its vehicle jamming system that focuses on a specific frequency common to IED control. The Mini Reactive …

• Military Logistics

  DSEI 2013: BAE offers air-to-air refuelling variant of BAe 146/Avro RJ

  11th September 2013

  BAE Systems has unveiled its proposition for an air-to-air refuelling variant of the BAe 146/Avro RJ aircraft, which it argues offers an affordable solution in …

• Naval Warfare

  Danish Navy selects Terma radar and C2 systems

  11th September 2013

  Terma radar and command and control (C2) solutions have been selected by the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) for the mid-life upgrade of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Selex ES announces new Falco UAS contract

  11th September 2013

  Selex ES has announced that it will supply its Falco unmanned aerial system (UAS) to an unnamed country in the Middle East. The €40 million …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2013: Lockheed Martin unleashes the Dragon

  10th September 2013

  Customers are increasing looking to the contract-by-the-hour mechanism for their ISR requirements, according to Lockheed Martin, in comments that reflect wider industry trends. At the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  QinetiQ demonstrates coordinated C2 of UAVs

  10th September 2013

  QinetiQ has recently completed a demonstration at the Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Centre at Parc Aberporth that saw multiple UAS and their onboard mission systems …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2013: Watchkeeper inches towards service entry

  10th September 2013

  Despite a stagnant development in the WK450 Watchkeeper programme in recent months, the British Army believes that the system will receive its release to service …

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 ...