• Digital Battlespace

  Rheinmetall to upgrade Canadian MASS

  22nd June 2018

  Rheinmetall has received a follow-on contract from the Canadian military to upgrade the Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) installed on the navy's Halifax-class frigates, the …

• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for Swedish SIGINT ship

  19th June 2018

  PGZ Stocznia Wojenna has laid the keel for the new Swedish signals intelligence (SIGINT) ship at the Nauta shipyard in Gdynia, Poland, Saab announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  AN/PRC-162(V)1 radio passes MUOS testing

  18th June 2018

  Rockwell Collins’ AN/PRC-162(V)1 software-defined military radio has passed Do No Harm (DNH) testing to meet security requirements for operation with the Department of Defense’s final …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Al Seer Marine, Rafnar team for USVs

  22nd June 2018

  Al Seer Marine has signed a cooperation agreement with Iceland’s Rafnar to collaborate on USV technologies. The companies will initially work to convert Rafnar’s Embla …

• Defence Notes

  South Korea court offers conscientious objectors options

  28th June 2018

  South Korea's Constitutional Court on 28 June upheld the jailing of those who evade the country's military conscription law, but ordered authorities to provide conscientious …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed to continue to Halifax class support

  18th June 2018

  Lockheed Martin Canada has received a three-year contract extension to its in-service support contract for the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 Halifax-class frigates. The existing in-service …

• Land Warfare

  Axe hangs over UK's £1.6bn Warrior upgrade

  6th July 2018

  The British Army’s plans to upgrade its legacy Warrior IFVs looks to be in further jeopardy as a new UK government watchdog report revealed that …

• Land Warfare

  L&T delivers 1000th Akash propulsion system hardware

  22nd May 2018

  L&T; Defence has delivered the 1,000th integrated propulsion airframe system to Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) under its agreement as part of the Akash missile programme, …

• Naval Warfare

  UDT 2018: US Mk 48 torpedo upgrade in sight

  20th June 2018

  A contract award for a technological insertion upgrade into the US Navy’s Mk 48 heavyweight torpedo is imminent. Defence sources have told Shephard that an …

• Naval Warfare

  UDT 2018: Bids in for UK ORCA programme

  20th June 2018

  Bids for the UK Royal Navy’s programme to replace the combat management system (CMS) on its mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) were submitted in May, as …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Alta Devices solar tech for UAV project

  17th May 2018

  Alta Devices’ flexible and lightweight solar technology has been selected by the US Naval Research Laboratory to power its Hybrid Tiger UAV, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA develops sampler system for ROVs

  8th June 2018

  ECA Group has developed a 1000m depth rated core sampler recovery system for light duty ROVs, the company announced on 6 June. The system, mounted …

• Military Logistics

  Seaspan cuts steel for first JSS

  20th June 2018

  Seaspan has begun construction of the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) future Joint Support Ships (JSS) at its Vancouver shipyard, the Canadian Department of National Defence …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rafael demonstrates Protector USV to NATO

  13th June 2018

  Rafael Advance Defense Systems has demonstrated the capabilities of the Protector USV against naval swarm threats for NATO forces. The demonstration, which included a simulated firing …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG accepts delivery of 29th FRC

  13th June 2018

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) received its 29th Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Forrest Rednour, in Key West, Florida, on 7 June. The 154ft FRC will …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | ULTRA [US]

  The USAF, and more specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has invested in the ULTRA aircraft from DZYNE Technologies, with the drone possibly developed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | ULTRA [US]

  The USAF, and more specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has invested in the ULTRA aircraft from DZYNE Technologies, with the drone possibly developed ...

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

  Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) [US]

  Background  Origins The development programme has its origins in the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative signed between the nations in 2006 and renewed in 2015. This ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ULTRA [US]

  Background Origins The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) conceived and developed the aircraft with DZYNE Technologies. According to The War ...

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

  Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) [India]

  Background  Origins The development programme has its origins in the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative signed between the nations in 2006 and renewed in 2015. This ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  PROSUB - SSN [Brazil]

  Programme Background Following the successful delivery of the four Riachuelo-class SSK, which is due to all enter service between 2020 and 2023, the construction of ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS) [USN]

  Background Requirements The EMS is based on the Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel, featuring a catamaran design, providing hospital-level care, with three operating rooms, as well as ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Hybrid Tiger

  Manufactured by the Naval Research Laboratory, the Hybrid Tiger is an electric UAV. As its name suggests, the platform features a hybrid power generation unit. ...

• Air: UAS radar

  RASAR

  The real-time, autonomous, synthetic aperture radar (RASAR) is a self-contained radar designed for installation under the wing of UAS for counter-IED and FOPEN (Foliage Penetration) missions. It is ...

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

  SA-400 Jackal

  The SA-400 Jackal is a heavy-payload-capability, long-endurance VTOL UAS that had its first flight in 2013. It is an optionally piloted vehicle, so it can ...

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

  Outlaw SeaHunter

  Outlaw UAVs are used by military and research agencies for training, testing, data collection and system development. In the 114-137kg maximum take-off weight class, SeaHunter ...

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

  ShadowHawk

  The ShadowHawk is a VTOL UAV that can be transported and launched/recovered within a small area. The ShadowHawk is able to maintain aerial surveillance at ...

• Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

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

  Havoc

  Havoc is a MALE modular payload UAS designed for customers with varying missions and payload requirements. Features include tool-less assembly, rolling take-off and landing and ...

• Military - USVs

  MAST

  The Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) was developed by ASV Global and Roke Manor Research under funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Shyena/TAL

  Shyena, also known as TAL (The Advanced Light Torpedo), is an Indian lightweight anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (affiliated to ...

• Subsystems: software

  SWARM

  CHI Systems worked with Lockheed Martin on a programme for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to build software models that imitate human behaviour, and ...

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

  Bat

  Northrop Grumman is developing the Bat family of medium-altitude, multi-mission UAS. The company announced two variants of the UAS (3.7m and 4.3m) and a rotary-wing ...

• Light UGVs

  Dragon Runner

  The Dragon Runner UGV, manufactured by QinitiQ, has two versions: the Dragon Runner 10 (DR10) and the slightly larger Dragon Runner 20 (DR20). All Dragon ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  CLS-200

  The CLS-200 is part of the Yates Electrospace Corporation Silent Arrow family. It is a powered cargo-carrying one-use UAV, based on the company's GD-2000 glider.  In ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  XQ-67A

  In February 2024, GA-ASI first released images of the XQ-67A, a drone developed under a contract for thge USAF's Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) developmental programme. It ...

• Light UGVs

  Jackal

  Launched in September 2014, Clearpath Robotics' Jackal is a small, portable, integrated and weatherproof UGV. It has been built on a metal chassis and has four wheels ...