• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Future of military UAVs set to soar

  2nd November 2016

  It is not a surprise to most within the defence and aviation industry that the use of unmanned aircraft has increased and is set to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Partnerships and licensing key for new drone firms

  2nd November 2016

  As the Commercial UAV Expo got underway, amid much excitement in Las Vegas, words of caution were offered by delegates and speakers looking to temper …

• Land Warfare

  Indo Defence 2016: Rheinmetall aims for medium tank

  2nd November 2016

  A technology demonstrator vehicle has been developed by Rheinmetall that the company intends to use to bid for Indonesia’s future medium tank programme. Called the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zhuhai 2016: Quadrant covers all sectors

  2nd November 2016

  There was absolutely no shortage of businesses hawking a bewildering array of UAVs at the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in China. Quadrant Space (Tianjin) Technology, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New Neo V2 to continue radiation testing

  1st November 2016

  California-based unmanned systems designer and manufacturer Flycam UAV is continuing its nuclear test programme with the US Nuclear Corp, while also eyeing future developments in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zhuhai 2016: Mysterious Bee buzzes show

  1st November 2016

  CETC Avionics unveiled an unusual UAV at the 11th biennial Zhuhai Air Show, this being dubbed the Mysterious Bee hybrid quadcopter.  The UAV is a …

• Military Logistics

  US Army to field test PowerWalk

  1st November 2016

  The US Army is set to start field trials of the PowerWalk bionic energy-harvesting device in 2017, it announced on 26 October. PowerWalk is an …

• Defence Notes

  Zhuhai 2016: Mysterious J-20 sneaks in…and out

  1st November 2016

  China’s fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter made a cameo appearance during the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in China, this being its first public foray anywhere in …

• Land Warfare

  M1061 mortar cartridge gets full materiel release

  1st November 2016

  Orbital ATK’s M1061 60mm mortar cartridge has been approved for full materiel release (FMR) by the US Joint Munitions Command, the company announced on 27 …

• Military Logistics

  New IMX facility for US Army ammo plant

  31st October 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded a $146.5 million contract modification from the US Army to build and commission a new facility to increase the production …

• Digital Battlespace

  Bangladesh MoD orders Barrett radios

  28th October 2016

  Barrett Communications has been awarded a contract worth AUD$15 million to supply tactical radio communications equipment to the Bangladesh Ministry of Defence (MoD), it announced …

• Defence Notes

  Indo Defence 2016: ASEAN defence spending on the rise

  27th October 2016

  It is becoming clear that Southeast Asia is expanding its influence in the global defence industry. Recent data suggests that the upward trend in military …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris to sustain USAF EW tech

  27th October 2016

  Harris Corporation has been awarded a four-year, $55 million contract to sustain electronic warfare technology used on large US Air Force (USAF) aircraft, the company …

• Naval Warfare

  Philippines leases patrol aircraft

  27th October 2016

  During President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Japan from 25-27 October, the Philippines signed an MoU and letter of arrangement with Tokyo to lease five TC-90 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Euronaval 2016: Kelvin Hughes sees French potential

  26th October 2016

  Eager to explore the potential in the French domestic and export markets, UK-based Kelvin Hughes attended Euronaval to make its case for the SharpEye radar. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Short Range (LE-SR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Medium Range (LE-MR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• 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 UAS - MALE

  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) that will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [Saudi Arabia]

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

• Military UAS - small

  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 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  Shipborne Small UAV [Portugal]

  Background Shipborne UAV trials In August 2026, during the Iniciativa Mar Aberto 2026 mission, the Portuguese Navy conducted shipborne flight trials of uncrewed aircraft from ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Japanese Future Amphibious Vehicle

  Programme Background The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's (JGSDF) Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade currently operates a fleet of 58 BAE Systems Armored Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7A1s (AAV7A1s) ...

• Military UAS - small

  Light Tactical Support Intelligence Drone Systems (SDLRAT) (1-30) [France]

  Background Aftermath of SDT To fill the capability void left by the cancellation of the second section of the Tactical Drone System (SDT) programme, the French ...

• Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  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 intended to ...

• Military UAS - small

  ALTIUS (US)

  Programme Background Testing The US Army has tested the platform since March 2020. It was launched from a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that ...

• Military UAS - small

  Light Tactical Support Intelligence Drone Systems (SDLRAT) (31-140) [France]

  Background Aftermath of SDT To fill the capability void left by the cancellation of the second section of the Tactical Drone System (SDT) programme, the French ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Shipborne MALE UAV [Portugal]

  Background Shipborne UAV trials In August 2026, during the Iniciativa Mar Aberto 2026 mission, the Portuguese Navy conducted shipborne flight trials of uncrewed aircraft from the Gama-class frigate NRP Álvares ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  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 ...

• 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 - 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, ...

• 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 ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Sylver A-70

  The SYstème de Lancement VERtical (Sylver) A-70 is a vertical launching system (VLS) developed by DCNS (now Naval Group) to deploy medium- to long-range surface-to-air ...