• Land Warfare

  GSD LuWA vehicle moves toward evaluation

  6th September 2021

  The Luftbeweglichen Waffenträger (LuWa) vehicle programme is moving forwards after a new system demonstrator was unveiled in June for the German airmobile weapon carrier.

• Air Warfare

  USAF next-gen cruise missile programme advances to next phase

  5th July 2021

  Raytheon demonstrates full production readiness of the Long Range Stand Off missile under a new $2 billion contract.

• Training

  HTM provides helicopters for German Navy

  10th August 2021

  HTM began work last month on a contract from BAIINBw to provide, maintain and support EC135 helicopters.

• Training

  Three major USAF commands pick Boeing for F-15 MTC work

  29th June 2021

  Boeing is providing the simulation capability to train F-15 pilots and system operators in high-fidelity training devices.

• Naval Warfare

  UK to station OPVs ‘permanently’ in Asia

  28th July 2021

  After a long-time absence, the UK is set to beef up its naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Defence Notes

  Nioa puts its hand up for Australian sovereign missile production

  4th June 2021

  Nioa, owner of the Australian Missile Corporation, inked several cooperation agreements with domestic and foreign forces at Land Forces 2021.

• Training

  USN and USMC hit the beach with new LCAC 100

  2nd September 2021

  With the US Navy/USMC SSC LCAC 100 platforms now entering service, a new training centre has been officially opened to train crews at Camp Pendleton.

• Air Warfare

  Three down, one to go for Thai medium tactical airlift requirement

  22nd June 2021

  The Royal Thai Army has ordered another C295W aircraft from Airbus.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEF 2021: Meteksan introduces Kapan counter-drone system

  24th August 2021

  Improvements to the counter-drone system centre on improved C2 software and drone detection radar.

• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2021: UK defence industry policy risks strategic incoherence (Opinion)

  8th September 2021

  The UK has a globally regarded network of defence and security companies — but industrial sovereignty is being eroded by a steady stream of bids from overseas.

• Naval Warfare

  Full “Sense-to-Effect” Torpedo Countermeasure Capability (Sponsored Whitepaper)

  27th July 2021

  For over a hundred years submarines have lurked beneath the waves, providing a silent and current threat to surface shipping, both commercial and military. During World War I, the sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a torpedo fired from a German U-Boat showed the tactical advantages of having an underwater capability in maritime operations.

• Defence Notes

  Snapshot: Italian 2021-23 spending plan (video)

  16th August 2021

  The Italian Ministry of Defence released the multiyear 2021-23 spending plan on 5 August. The paper, released by the Italian MoD as the Documento Programmatico Pluriennale …

• Air Warfare

  S-100 completes USN flight trials

  9th August 2021

  ONR-sponsored demonstration showcased Schiebel UAS with lidar data-gathering system.

• Air Warfare

  Izdelie 305 adds punch to Ka-52M

  6th August 2021

  The latest missile for the Ka-52M helicopter is designed to deal with hardened targets such as concrete shelters and armoured vehicles, as well as mobile short-range air defence systems.

• Naval Warfare

  MKEK waits for starting gun on 76mm tests

  22nd July 2021

  MKEK claims a rapid R&D phase for an indigenous naval gun amid a wider push in Turkey to shrug off reliance on imports.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (5-6) [Australia]

  Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated GCS. ...

• Data links

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

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

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

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (13-14) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

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

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

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

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Background Goal As stated by the Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney, in March 2022, the Ghost Bat will be an "operational system ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early 2021 Royal ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  Air-5416 Project Echidna was an initiative launched in 2001 by BAE Systems for the Australian DoD. Its goal was to overhaul the self protection systems ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

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

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

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

  M Solar-X

  First revealed in August 2020, in February 2024, at its symposium, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) showcased the M Solar-X. This solar-powered fixed-wing drone was ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...