• Land Warfare

  UK officials claim progress on armour programmes as integrated review looms

  21st October 2020

  A more nuanced picture of the future for major British Army vehicle programmes will only emerge with the publication of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Thunderstorm interrupts MQ-25 testing

  14th September 2020

  An unexpected thunderstorm has caused disruption to Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray flight test plans. Test asset T1, a predecessor to four MQ-25 EDM aircraft due to …

• Air Warfare

  AIM-9X Block II to benefit from software enhancements

  14th September 2020

  Raytheon Missiles and Defense is providing new and improved software, plus software risk reduction and support, for the development of Operational Flight Software 10.15 which …

• Defence Notes

  Romania welcomes first Patriot system

  18th September 2020

  The Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) held a reception ceremony on 17 September for its first Patriot SAM system. The event took place at …

• Digital Battlespace

  Falkonry expands AI footprint within USAF

  6th August 2020

  Start-up machine learning company Falkonry has been awarded a contract by USAF innovation hub AFWERX under the Strategic Financing (STRATFI) programme, to broaden the adoption …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK Joint Network Management System achieves IOC

  25th September 2020

  Following final installation of the Thales Joint Network Management System (JNMS), the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has determined the system can now be used …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Japan may renege on its Global Hawk acquisition

  18th August 2020

  Domestic media in Japan reported on 13 August that Tokyo is considering cancelling its purchase of the RQ-4B Block 30(I) Global Hawk. The Japan Air …

• Naval Warfare

  First of five new Royal Saudi Naval Forces corvettes launched

  31st July 2020

  Spanish shipbuilder Navantia launched the first of five corvettes being manufactured for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces in a ceremony at the San Fernando facility …

• Defence Notes

  ​USAF seeks to start work on GBSD facilities in 2023

  18th August 2020

  The USAF intends to start construction in 2023 on the first of three new facilities to house the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), which will …

• Air Warfare

  Elbit subsidiary to provide Lockheed Martin with additional F-35 structural assemblies

  15th September 2020

  Lockheed Martin has awarded Elbit Systems - Cyclone a contract to supply additional complex composite structural assemblies for forward equipment bay assemblies on all F-35 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IAI claims landmark achievement for civil-military UAV integration

  18th September 2020

  Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel has become the first in the world to handle a UAV arrival alongside commercial traffic in civilian airspace. A …

• Training

  MetaVR launches latest version of Terrain Tools

  23rd September 2020

  MetaVR has released a new version of its Terrain Tools extension to the industry-standard Esri ArcGIS platform. Terrain Tools 1.6 enables users to turn their geospatial …

• Defence Notes

  China goes ballistic in South China Sea

  28th August 2020

  China fired four of its most capable conventional ballistic missiles into the South China Sea from bases in mainland China on 26 August. Most commentators saw these …

• Land Warfare

  Chilean MLRS development nears completion

  29th September 2020

  Chilean state-run defence company FAMAE is close to completing its Tralcan MLRS. The domestically manufactured system will undergo a final shooting test in Q4 2020; …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems continues F-35 EW system production

  15th September 2020

  BAE Systems has been a contract from Lockheed Martin to produce and deliver additional EW systems for Lot 15 and Lot 16 production F-35 Lightning II …

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 ...

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

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Programme Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of ...

• 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 - MALE

  Loyal Wingman [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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Programme 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 ...

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

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Programme 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• AMAS

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

• 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 ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  NGJ

  Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) was selected by the USN in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALQ-210

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/ALQ-210 is an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) outfitting the Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo naval support helicopter. The manufacturer’s official literature says that the product ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  BAE Systems’ commenced its work on the Australian Department of Defence’s Air-5416 Project Echidna initiative in 2001. The rationale of the programme was to overhaul ...

• 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). ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon-XF

  Thales’ Vicon-XF is a countermeasure dispensing system which can equip an array of platforms, primarily large aircraft and rotorcraft, according to the manufacturer’s official literature. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...