• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2016: Raytheon prepares UAS swarm

  2nd May 2016

  Raytheon is planning several experiments this summer which will involve unleashing a swarm of its tube-launched Coyote UAS. As many as 30 of the small …

• Military Logistics

  USN exercise airfield damage repair

  2nd May 2016

  The US Navy's Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 (NMCB 5) has successfully completed the Airfield Damage Repair (ADR) portion of their Field Training Exercise (FTX), …

• Training

  ITEC 2016: Polish Air Force Links up

  2nd May 2016

  L3 Link continues to add to its burgeoning F-16 portfolio that now sees the Polish Air Force select the company to provide support for its …

• Defence Helicopter

  First H145Ms handed over to Thai navy

  2nd May 2016

  The first two of five H145M helicopters have been handed over to the Royal Thai Navy by Airbus Helicopters, the company announced on 29 April.  …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: Little Bird replacement on horizon

  1st May 2016

  Affectionately known as the 'street fighter' for its ability to operate in difficult urban terrain, the AH/MH-6 Little Bird provides capabilities to US Special Operations …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: FVL needed for Pacific theatre

  30th April 2016

  The US Army’s initiative to introduce a new generation of helicopters as part of Future Vertical Lift (FVL) will be vital for addressing growing threats …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: Chinook to reach 100 years service

  30th April 2016

  Despite a push by the US Army to introduce a new-generation of rotorcraft in the 2030s, the branch has plans to keep some of its …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: DVE solution goes in-house

  30th April 2016

  The US Army has decided to pursue existing technology being developed by the government for its Brownout Rotorcraft Enhancement System (BORES) requirement, ruling out any …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Quad A 2016: US Army eyes revolutionary UAS

  29th April 2016

  The US Army is planning to set out fresh requirements in the mid-2020s for a runway-independent UAS, with the service potentially eyeing revolutionary designs that …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: Leadership outlines rotary challenges

  29th April 2016

  Army aviation capabilities will be vital for the US as future conflicts become more complex and fought over more dispersed regions in the world, but …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: Sikorsky defiant on SB>1

  29th April 2016

  Sikorsky and Boeing’s offering for the US Army’s Joint Multi Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator is on track to perform its first flight next year, with …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  More Bonefish tests ahead

  29th April 2016

  Saab Australia is excited about the prospects of its Bonefish USV Down Under, as its development continues. The latest series of talks suggests that it …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus Helicopters talks Kruk

  29th April 2016

  Airbus Helicopters and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) have begun talks to identify potential areas of cooperation for Poland’s Kruk attack helicopter programme, the company announced …

• Land Warfare

  More M88A1 conversions

  28th April 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded a $109.7 million contract modification from the US Army to convert 36 of its M88A1 recovery vehicles to the M88A2 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2016: Bell eyes early service for V-280

  28th April 2016

  In the lead up to this year's Quad A in Atlanta, Georgia, Bell Helicopter reaffirmed its belief that its next generation V-280 tilt-rotor could enter …

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 ...