• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon pitches common UAS controller

  22nd August 2016

  Raytheon is positioning its UAS ground station technology, currently being developed for the US Air Force’s RQ-4B Global Hawk, as a potential common controller solution …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insitu gives it some gas

  19th August 2016

  Continuing its involvement in the unmanned sector in Australia Insitu Pacific has extended its contract with the Queensland Gas Company (QGC) through to the end …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airborne info sharing tests start

  17th August 2016

  Simulation testing is set to begin for DARPA’s Dynamic Network Adaptation for Mission Optimization (DyNAMO) project for new airborne information sharing system to allow the …

• Military Logistics

  USAF receives new MC-130J

  17th August 2016

  Lockheed Martin has delivered an MC-130J Commando II aircraft to the US Air Force on 11 August, the company announced on 15 August. The aircraft …

• Defence Notes

  MBDA secures UK ASRAAM contract

  17th August 2016

  MBDA will produce ASRAAM infra-red guided air-to-air missiles for the UK’s F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet under a £184 million contract with the UK …

• Defence Helicopter

  USMC begins Super Stallion reset

  16th August 2016

  The US Marine Corps (USMC) has begun a complete reset of its ageing CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters to address systemic issues and increase the …

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: Challenger 2 - the bids are in

  16th August 2016

  Given the lack of armoured vehicle manufacturing capability in the UK, domestic contenders for the Life Extension Project (LEP) for the British Challenger 2 MBT are being …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cambridge Pixel announces new award

  16th August 2016

  Cambridge Pixel will supply software modules for radar scan conversion, target tracking and radar fusion for integration into Lockheed Martin’s new naval Vigilance radar system, …

• Defence Notes

  Thales pulls up stakes in Hanwha

  16th August 2016

  Hanwha Techwin will take over Thales’ 50% stake in the Hanwha Thales joint venture, according to a filing to the Korea Exchange on 29 July. …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army aviation takes the fight to Daesh

  15th August 2016

  The US Army’s deployment back to Iraq has given helicopter units the first operational experience of working as attack/reconnaissance units following the service’s recent restructure …

• Land Warfare

  NATO requests precision munitions

  15th August 2016

  The US State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale (FMS) of precision-guided munitions to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for an …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ROVOP details new contracts

  12th August 2016

  ROVOP has announced $4 million in new contracts from unnamed customers in the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and Europe. The company announced …

• Land Warfare

  Can Type 96 tank fill PLA ranks?

  12th August 2016

  The Type 96 (ZTZ-96) tank is already an important platform in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and its latest version could form the future backbone …

• Naval Warfare

  Replenishing Vietnam Coast Guard

  11th August 2016

  The Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) has received its largest vessel yet, in the form of a 90m multirole replenishment vessel. After being handed over on …

• Digital Battlespace

  PAL Aerospace acquires CarteNav

  10th August 2016

  Provincial Aerospace (PAL Aerospace) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CarteNav Solutions, a Nova Scotia-based software development company that develops situational awareness and …

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 ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift UAV [Germany]

  Background  Victor U250 agreement On 10 June 2026, at ILA Berlin, Rheinmetall, ERC Systems, and the North Rhine-Westphalia state formed a strategic partnership to lay ...

• 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

  Project Proteus [UK]

  Background Requirements The RN requires an uncrewed helicopter to test the viability of larger uncrewed aircraft, possibly providing an alternative to crewed aircraft such as the ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy-lift Helicopter STH [Germany]

  Background Requirement The German government issued a tender in March 2019 for the procurement of heavy-lift helicopters under the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) program, 60 units are ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) (MV-75 Cheyenne II) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F CHINOOK [USA]

  Programme Background As the Army's only heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47F Improved Cargo helicopter is an essential component of the Army's Multi-Domain Battle framework. The CH-47F ...

• Transport

  Large Transport Aircraft-II (LTA-II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The aircraft are needed for peacetime, international peacekeeping, emergency and combat operations. They are especially required to ensure a strategic lift capacity ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - tactical

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot computer, ...

• Military UAS - small

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  DrN-600

  The DrN-600 is a medium-lift cargo UAV developed by Singapore-based manufacturer ST Engineering. The platform combines vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) with wing-borne forward flight and ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Victor U250

  The Victor U250 is a heavy lift drone in development by ERC Systems. The UAV has been developed by ERC for critical mission applications including ...

• Light UGVs

  Avenger

  In January 2017, Med-Eng announced the launch of a new bomb disposal and tactical robot, called the Avenger, at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Loong 2

  The Loong 2 is a rotary-wing mini-UAV manufactured by LoongUAV. Designed for ISR missions, the UAV features a universal plug-and-play standardised interface, meaning a lot of different ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Proteus

  Proteus is a technology demonstrator that Leonardo is developing in collaboration with the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) Future Capabilities Group and the ...