• Air Warfare

  India fast-tracks indigenous MALE drones as US trade rift stalls big-ticket deals

  15th August 2025

  With US tariffs and stalled defence talks slowing imports, India has cleared a $3.4 billion plan for 87 tri‑service MALE UAVs with 60% indigenous content – accelerating self‑reliance as operational lessons from May’s four‑day conflict drive urgency.

• Defence Notes

  New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia

  9th April 2025

  This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.

• Naval Warfare

  £30 million UK-New Zealand deal sends new uncrewed vehicles to Ukraine

  23rd April 2025

  Sam Vye, the CEO of SYOS Aerospace, which supplied the vehicles, explained the rapid development and deployment of assets in the uncrewed world.

• Naval Warfare

  Havelsan sells ADVENT CMS into Chilean Navy frigates

  2nd April 2025

  The system is intended to add enhanced operational precision to two ageing vessels.

• Air Warfare

  Shield AI unveils V-Bat block upgrade

  9th April 2025

  The heavy-fuel engine V-Bat was officially showcased at Sea Air Space, after it was first teased in February 2025.

• Land Warfare

  FAMOUS all-terrain vehicle demonstrated with 20mm cannon

  24th March 2025

  Patria has so far built two technology test beds of the FAMOUS (Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured System) all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and in the second half of this year will complete the first of two vehicles for further trials in the third quarter of 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Kongsberg confirms its first Australian missile factory

  31st March 2025

  The deal, which has been planned since August 2024, is part of an ongoing attempt to bolster Australia’s defences against the potential of Chinese aggression.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing to remanufacture five more US Army MH-47G Block II Chinooks

  31st March 2025

  The contract award, worth $240 million, is part of the ongoing effort by the US Army to modernise its Block II Chinook rotorcraft fleet.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy's next-gen aircraft contract award expected this week

  25th March 2025

  The F/A-XX programme is the US Navy’s answer to improving air superiority against the rising threat of China in the Indo-Pacific.

• Air Warfare

  Northrop Grumman notes $477 million loss as it manages higher B-21 programme costs

  24th April 2025

  In its Q1 earnings call, the company disclosed a US$477 million pretax loss related to the programme as it works to scale up.

• Land Warfare

  General Atomics and Rafael unveil new multi-domain missile

  9th April 2025

  Currently under development, Bullseye has been designed to be a long-range, precision-guided strike capability.

• Land Warfare

  US Army to field first human-machine platoon in two years

  1st April 2025

  The Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office plans to deploy armoured and infantry platoon configurations around FY2027.

• Air Warfare

  Avalon 2025: RAAF looks beyond 10 years to when future deliveries may restart

  31st March 2025

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been substantially refreshed in the past two decades including F-35A and F/A-18F fighter aircraft, as well as the addition of transport aircraft such as C-17s, C-130 variants and C-27Js. Additional aircraft may only be a medium-term prospect.

• Land Warfare

  Canada lines up over-the-horizon radar purchase from Australia

  7th April 2025

  Ottawa is planning to procure a version of Australia’s Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN), which gives an over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) capability reaching approximately 3,000km for detection of air and sea targets.

• Air Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Australia’s missile and ordnance plans excite companies

  31st March 2025

  Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) industrial plan is ambitious and promises big spending in an effort to create a local and sovereign capability. Companies at last week’s Australian International Airshow near Melbourne were making their pitches.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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

  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 ...

• OPVs

  Kingston Class Replacement [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirements Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Canada is seeking to procure an undisclosed number of small vessels (below 1000t). Part ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (3) [Belgium]

  Background Strategic Vision 2030 In 2016, the Belgian MoD published its Strategic Vision 2030 report. This report highlighted the need for MALE reconnaissance drones to ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  KT-1B Woongbi - Indonesia

  The programme value is estimates as $30 million for the purchase of three KT-1B aircraft. The deliveries are planned to be completed in 2021. The KT-1B ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (1-2) [Belgium]

  Background Strategic Vision 2030 In 2016, the Belgian MoD published its Strategic Vision 2030 report. This report highlighted the need for MALE reconnaissance drones to ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Programme Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E - Kuwait

  Programme Background According to the US State Department, the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping ...

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

  Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) [Canada]

  Programme Background Programme Inception The Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) Joint Unmanned Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (JUSTAS) project was established to procure a UAS for ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook-UAE

  The proposed deal also includes air worthiness support; spare and repair parts; communications equipment; personnel training and training equipment; site surveys; tool and test equipment; ground ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-X / T-7A Red Hawk [USAF]

  Programme Background Goal The T-X programme aims to acquire a two-seat jet trainer aircraft to replace its Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon. The programme could be worth ...

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

  Micro VTOL [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a JMR-TD aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal to build a demonstrator ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Tiltrotors

  TR36TD

  Karem Aircraft was one of four contenders for the US Army's JMR-TD, which is a precursor to the FVL project that will replace the UH-60 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-4B Nightwatch

  Developed by Boeing based on the 747-200 airliner, the E-4B Nightwatch is a special mission aircraft used as the US National Airborne Operations Centre and is ...

• SARAH

  Flying-Cam’s Special Aerial Response Automatic Helicopter (SARAH) has been designed for applications such as LIDAR, photogrammetry and surveying. Features include five flight modes, dual GPS antenna, ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Proteus Surface Warship CTT

  In addition to the generic Proteus Action Speed Tactical Trainer (ASTT), Kongsberg can also provide Command Team Trainers (CTT) tailored to the specific needs of ...

• SARAH 4.0

  Flying-Cam’s Special Aerial Response Automatic Helicopter (SARAH) 4.0 has been designed for applications such as LIDAR, photogrammetry and surveying. Features include dual GPS antenna, RIEGL LIDAR, ...

• Subsystems: visual

  VTTS

  The Virtual Reality Team Training System (VTTS) allows team members to interact together in one common virtual world. Every trainee uses a workstation consisting of ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-280 Valor

  Bell Helicopter Textron is developing the V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the JMR-TD FVL project. The US Army announced in August 2014 that Bell would be ...

• Sea: tactical training

  SCTT

  The Submarine Combat Team Trainer (SCTT) prepares the submarine combat information centre team for its duties with the aid of simulated combat situations and environmental ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  LTMPAV Dino 519

  The Dino 519 is a light tactical multi-purpose armored vehicle (LTMPAV) developed by Team Concept, a Poland-based armored vehicle manufacturer.