• Defence Notes

  US to increase investment in deterrence in the Indo-Pacific theatre

  18th August 2023

  The Senate Committee on Appropriations recently proposed an additional $534 million above the $9.1 billion requested in Pentagon’s FY2024 budget proposal to be invested in military capacities in the region.

• Defence Notes

  Miilux produces submarine-grade steel in Turkiye, revolutionising national SSK projects

  2nd August 2023

  A Turkish plant has produced the country's first submarine-grade heat-treated steel, meaning that national submarine programmes will no longer be reliant on import for this raw material.

• Naval Warfare

  The Philippines has ended its flirtation with China – so what next for the country’s navy?

  11th September 2023

  For decades, largely as a result of historical ties, the US was the only Western country with a strong interest in the Philippines and its navy. Over the past year, other nations have turned their attention to the archipelago. The question is why now? And what is the impact of this shift on the Philippine Navy?

• Training

  Brazil bets on indigenously developed simulators to improve military training

  28th August 2023

  Brazil's in-house developed simulators can replicate multiple scenarios and missions and prepare commanders, paratroopers, pilots, gunners and marksmen while reducing costs related to acquisition and maintenance.

• Air Warfare

  US greenlights NATO F-16s for Ukraine but jets excluded from current counter offensive

  18th August 2023

  Despite receiving approval for Danish and Dutch F-16 fighter jets from the US, Ukraine's ongoing counter offensive against Russia will not see the immediate deployment of these aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin unveils plans to develop new class of 500kW laser weapon

  31st July 2023

  Lockheed Martin will scale its technology to a 500kW-class laser under a new contract, aiming to optimize efficiency and size while increasing power for high-powered directed energy weapon systems.

• Air Warfare

  Delays in TR-3 software pushes out Belgian F-35A delivery timeline

  11th August 2023

  Belgium's plans to integrate F-35A fighter jets from Lockheed Martin hit a roadblock due to persistent delays in the deployment of the Technology Refresher 3 (TR-3) software.

• Air Warfare

  Saudi Arabia's bid to join GCAP: divisions, financial clout and geopolitical stakes

  17th August 2023

  Saudi Arabia could only bring money to GCAP at this stage as it has 'no aircraft industry, let alone a technological base, so involving [it] as a prime partner generates considerable risk and potential delays', experts tell Shephard.

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders nine more Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers

  3rd August 2023

  The USN will receive nine more DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyers, six from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and three from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, under a deal likely to be worth around $1.8 billion each ship.

• Naval Warfare

  HII awarded contract for aircraft carrier maintenance in San Diego

  26th July 2023

  HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division has received a contract from the USN for aircraft carrier maintenance in San Diego. The award has a potential value of $528.4 million over five years.

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia confirms SitaWare for critical C2 elements of Land 200 Phase 3 project

  28th July 2023

  The Australian Defence Force has chosen Systematic's SitaWare software for the C2 functions of the Land 200 Phase 3 project, enhancing situational awareness and battlefield management.

• Land Warfare

  How the US Army is getting ready to succeed in contested multidomain scenarios

  24th July 2023

  The service has been working on the improvement of strategy, inventory and training in addition to conducting several acquisition, development and modernisation efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Australia selects Lockheed Martin for Project Air 6500

  29th August 2023

  Lockheed Martin Australia has emerged as the winner to create a joint air battle management system for the ADF.

• Land Warfare

  Australia sees inexplicably steep price rise for additional HIMARS

  21st August 2023

  Questions need to be asked at the steep inflation, in the order of a magnitude of 2.5, that the US is asking for HIMARS.

• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2023 in review: Ukraine, AI and the real world

  20th September 2023

  DSEI 2023 took place in the shadow of the largest European land war in more than seven decades and a growth in conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) with limited UK immediate defence programme opportunities; many of the new products and exhibitors' announcements reflected this.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

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

  V-Bat [India]

  Programme Background Make In India The 'Make In India' is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the context of ...

• AEW&C

  GlobalEye (1-3) [UAE]

  Programme Background The GlobalEye is a modification of Bombardier's Global 6000 jet aircraft fitted with the S-band Erieye Extended Range (ER) radar and mission system ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | MVX Programme [Finland]

  Seeking to replace its two ageing Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), the Finnish Border Guard commenced its MVX program in 2019. The programme, which was ...

• Data links

  Data links | MVX Programme [Finland]

  Seeking to replace its two ageing Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), the Finnish Border Guard commenced its MVX program in 2019. The programme, which was ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | MVX Programme [Finland]

  Seeking to replace its two ageing Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), the Finnish Border Guard commenced its MVX program in 2019. The programme, which was ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | MVX Programme [Finland]

  Seeking to replace its two ageing Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), the Finnish Border Guard commenced its MVX program in 2019. The programme, which was ...

• ISR/special mission

  Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (1-3) [Germany]

  Programme Background Requirement The Pegasus (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) project aims to fulfil a SIGINT capability which has been missing in the German Armed ...

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

  Xtender [US]

  Programme Background Previous Procurement In early 2021, the US Department of Defence awarded a contract to XTEND for the platform in partnership with Isreal's MoD. ...

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

  V-Bat [Greece]

  Background Contract Award In May 2025, Kathimerini, a Greek morning political and economic newspaper, reported that the Greek Army had acquired two V-Bat UAVs. Funded partly by ...

• AEW&C

  AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement was initially reported in 2016 when it was noted as being part of a long-term development plan, however, reports from ...

• Loitering munitions

  Echelon 0: Ground Organic Precision Strike Systems (GOPSS) [USSOCOM]

  Programme Background Requirements The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has made loitering capabilities a priority in its efforts to support counter-violent extremist organization (C-VEO) operations ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (First Contact) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

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

  Teal 2 (Customs and Border Protection Force) [US]

  Programme Background First Order Global News Wire reported that Red Cat had filled an order for 54 Teal 2 units from the US Customs and ...

• Amphibious assault ships

  TCG Anadolu LHD [Turkey]

  Programme Background TCG Anadolu is a Multipurpose Assault Ship (LHD) built by Sedef in Tuzla for the Turkish Navy. The vessel, which is the single ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Trainer

  HJT-36 Sitara

  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) designed and developed the subsonic HJT-36 Sitara single-engine aircraft to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian ...

• Heavy UGVs

  WOLF-X

  The WOLF-X is a wheeled 8x8 Robotic Combat Vehicle developed by HDT Global in partnership with McQ and BAE Land & Armament Systems. In September 2023, as ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by General Atomics (GA-ASI).  Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Robotics Technology Demonstrator

  BAE Systems unveiled its Robotics Technology Demonstrator (RTD) at the AUSA exhibition in 2019. Designed to meet the requirements of the US Army's Robotic Combat ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Khordad-3

  Khordad-3 is a long-range air defence missile system in service with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force of Iran.  The system was unveiled ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Initial Maneuver - SHORAD

  Unveiled at AUSA 2019, Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) is a multipurpose platform, based on the Stryker IFV, which moves and maneuvers in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)

  BAE Systems' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) was developed in response to a US Army requirement for a platform to replace the ageing M113 APCs in ...

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

  Fang

  Fang is a first-person view (FPV) UAS for precision strike roles. The drone is aimed to launch in Q2 2025. Developed by Red Cat, the drone ...

• EO/IR systems

  MS-177 (series)

  The MS-177 is an EO/IR sensor designed to enhance the strategic ISR capabilities of the US military's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS over land and maritime ...

• Data links

  GSNC

  Global Secure Network Connection (GSNC) provides a global data communications solution for military aircraft, including bomber, refuelling and transport aircraft. The GSNC system uses Iridium ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Bradley NG/RB301

  BAE Systems introduced the Bradley Next Generation (NG) at AUSA 2016 to showcase a cost-effective option for extending the M2 Bradley's service life into the 2030s. Centred around ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Ripsaw M5

  The Ripsaw M5 has been developed to meet the requirements of the US Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programme for a family of new UGVs. ...

• Loitering munitions

  L-Spike 4X

  The L-Spike 4X is a loitering munition first displayed by Rafael US at AUSA 2025.  iI will be offered with two primary warhead configurations: Tandem HEAT ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Golden Eagle HS

  The Golden Eagle HS (Heavy Strike) is a rotary-wing UAV that can be armed with Rafael's powerful Spike SR and LR2 missiles, providing ground troops with anti-armour ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 400

  At AUSA 2025, AeroVironment (AV) unveiled the Switchblade 400, a rocket-launched, medium-range, man-portable loitering munition. AV states the aircrat has been designed to defeat tanks and heavy ...