• Digital Battlespace

  Indra and Spanish Navy harness unsupervised AI

  21st September 2020

  Indra, in conjunction with the Spanish Navy’s Data Monitoring and Analysis Center (CESADAR), is developing one of the first technological demonstrators in the world based …

• Defence Notes

  IAI selects five start-ups for accelerated technology development

  2nd October 2020

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) R&D; and innovation managers have picked five start-up companies for accelerated development at its Innovation Center. QuantLR, Aigent-tech, DST, Scopoli, and …

• Defence Notes

  Experts expect ‘crawl, walk, run,’ process to make Skyborg a success

  9th October 2020

  In light of debate surrounding how well-suited loyal wingman aircraft are in competing against IADS and hypersonic missiles, analysts are confident the systems will eventually prove themselves in contested environments.

• Naval Warfare

  Dutch ponder SSK proposals

  19th October 2020

  Local industrial participation is an essential element in the programme to replace four Walrus-class boats

• Digital Battlespace

  EDA seeks to harden military systems in contested EW environments

  22nd September 2020

  European militaries could benefit from enhancements for their radio and radar systems, as a result of a new initiative from the European Defence Agency (EDA) …

• Digital Battlespace

  Blighter expands drone detection radar family

  24th September 2020

  UK-based Blighter Surveillance Systems has launched a new UAS detection radar called A800 3D for air, land and sea surveillance. CEO Angus Hone claimed that …

• Defence Notes

  MTSI to support Missile Defense Agency CAPL programme

  23rd September 2020

  Modern Technology Solutions Inc (MTSI) is helping the US Missile Defense Agency extend its capabilities to defeat the next generation of threats.  Under a $68.5 …

• Digital Battlespace

  DoD looks beyond AlphaDogfight

  10th September 2020

  The DoD intends to conduct real-world dogfights between AI-controlled aircraft and crewed fighters in 2024. Speaking on 9 September during the DoD Artificial Intelligence Symposium …

• Defence Notes

  Netherlands defines 2021 spending priorities

  18th September 2020

  In its latest budget plan the Netherlands MoD is emphasising investment in ‘digitisation and sustainability’, green technology, extra cyber capacity, AI and modern equipment such …

• Digital Battlespace

  EDA turns its thoughts to cognitive radio and radar

  1st September 2020

  The steering board of the European Defence Agency (EDA) has approved the launch of a new AI-focused research project to harden military communication and radar …

• Training

  Historical parallels suggest benefits of cost-effective training realism

  18th September 2020

  The recent virtual US Army Maneuver Warfighter Conference, hosted by the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning in Georgia, featured an eclectic presentation from …

• Training

  Brazilian Air Force seeks to integrate its simulators

  7th September 2020

  The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is currently running two projects to integrate its simulators and to increase its inventory: Integrated Simulators for Military Air Operations …

• Air Warfare

  India proves hypersonic technology for next-generation missiles

  11th September 2020

  On 7 September the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology, with a successful flight test of its Hypersonic Technology …

• Training

  EDA pursues an ambitious networked vision

  9th September 2020

  The steering board of the European Defence Agency (EDA) has given the green light to oversee the development of a collective air training research project. …

• Training

  AI proves its mettle in AlphaDogfight

  21st August 2020

  The third and final competition in the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) AlphaDogfight Trials has now taken place to evaluate how AI algorithms …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  IA-63 Pampa III -(Follow-On) [Argentina]

  Programme Background After the previous procurement of six AI-63 Pampa III aircraft from 2018 and 2019 agreements, Argentina was left with a further need for 34 aircraft. ...

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

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract Award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat, specifically the V-Bat 400, aircraft to enhance the maritime intelligence, surveillance ...

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

  V-Bat 128 (Brazil)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, Sheild AI announced on its website that it had signed a contract with VSK Tactical which included the 'purchase of [the] V-Bat ...

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

  V-Bat [India]

  Background Make In India The ‘Make In India’ is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the defence context, ...

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

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced a competition on the EU tendering website for the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

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

  Shield AI UAVs [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Reported Talks Reporting from the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, the Middle East Eye (MEE) noted that, according to two sources, Saudi Arabia was ...

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

  Ship-Bourne VTOL UAV [Singapore]

  Background Multi-Role Combat Vessel  The Republic of Singapore Navy will retire its six Victory-class corvettes and replace them with a new platform, the Multi-Role Combat ...

• 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 ...

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

  Air Launched Effect (ALE) [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and ...

• Loitering munitions

  Drone Dominance Program (DDP) [US]

  Background Drone Dominance Program (DDP) As part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), he published a July 2025 document outlining the DPP. He called ...

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

  V-Bat [USN]

  Background Core Requirement Fundamentally, the USN requires a UAV that can be flown from its ships in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.  ...

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

  KF-21 Loyal Wingman [South Korea]

  Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea’s Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and F-5E/F fighters in the ROKAF. ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master [Norway]

  Programme Background Developed by Rheinmetall Canada in 2021, the Mission Master XT is designed to tackle ice and snow, as well as sandy, rocky and ...

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

  V-Bat [Armenia]

  Background Announcment On 9 February 2026, in a press release from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan and JD Vance, US vice-president, ...

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

  Anka-3 [Turkey]

  Background Order Announcement Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu, in a statement at SAHA Istanbul's SAHA Chat program in January 2026, stated that, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  TKN-AI

  TKN-AI is a commander’s periscope intended for guiding a vehicle, and battlefield observation and target acquisition by day and night. It is compatible with T-62, ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-20M

  The Ivchenko AI-20 is a Soviet turboprop engine developed in the 1950s. Although the engines were originally designed for civil cargo aircraft servicing medium- and ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  AI-450

  The AI-450 is a Ukrainian engine developed by Ivachenko-Progress, with Motor Sich acting as the production partner to supply parts and components. The turboprop engine ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  АI-24

  The Ivchenko AI-24 turboprop aircraft engine was initially designed and manufactured in the late-1950s. Manufacturing was later moved to Motor Sich, a Ukraine based manufacturer ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-222-25

  Manufactured by Ukraine’s Motor Sich, the AI-222 is a high thrust-to-weight ratio turbofan engine family developed to power Russian Air Force advanced trainers and light ...

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

  X-Bat

  The X-Bat is an AI-piloted, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) uncrewed fighter jet designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments. Unveiled by Shield AI ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Hivemind

  Developed by Shield AI, Hivemind is an ecosystem of tightly integrated AI software tools and interfaces that leverages several factors to deliver  intelligent and resilient autonomy ...

• Transport

  An-32

  The An-32 (NATO reporting name Cline) is a light military transport aircraft that can be operated in hot temperatures (up to 50°C) and from mountain ...

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

  GA-10FPV-AI

  The GA-10FPV-AI is a Lithuanian FPV quadcopter drone manufactured by Granta Autonomy. The drone can carry a 3kg payload and operate in GNSS-denied environments. In September 2024, Granta Autonomy ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...

• Loitering munitions

  Viper 10

  The Viper 10 is a rotary-wing first-person view (FPV) drone from Baltic Viper. The loitering munition quadcopter has a 4kg payload, a reinforced communication system, and ...

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

  Scorpio 1000

  Described as an outdoor precision striker, the Scorpio 1000 is a rotary-wing quadcopter from XTEND.  It has advanced AI auto-targeting that enables precise flight without ...

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

  Gogol-M

  The Gogol-M is a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone carrier, or mothership, from Strategy Force Solutions. The system can deliver two first-person view (FPV)-type attack drones to hit precision ...

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

  Sonora

  Sonora is a micro rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Harmattan AI. It is a cost-effective, training-focused UAV built to simulate ISR operations. In June 2025, France acquired 1,000 Sonora ...

• EO/IR systems

  Rex Mini Mk II

  The Rex Mini Mk2 is a sub-900g EO/IR sensor from Atmolab. It has a day camera with a 10x optical zoom, a high-resolution thermal camera, ...