• Naval Warfare

  How bad management could put the US Navy’s cruiser fleet far behind Chinese capabilities

  27th December 2024

  While China has been rapidly advancing with the development of the Type 055 class, the US Navy has been struggling to progress with the modernisation of its cruiser fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  Singapore commissions first pair of Type 218SG submarines

  26th September 2024

  Built by tkMS in Germany, Singapore’s Invincible-class Type 218SG submarines have a submerged weight of 2,200 tons and measure 70m.

• Land Warfare

  S-MET competitors outline bids

  8th October 2024

  The US Army’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Increment II (S-MET II) is a follow-on from S-MET Increment I (S-MET I) and will provide a larger and more capable vehicle.

• Land Warfare

  CV90 revels in northern exposure while looking for new customers (updated April 2025)

  25th April 2025

  The BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 IFV has been around for decades but continual refreshing to maintain power and relevance, along with a healthy market at home in Sweden and neighbouring countries, has led to more than 1,700 vehicle orders with 10 countries.

• Naval Warfare

  Dutch Navy to acquire “sailing toolbox” vessels with loitering munitions

  26th September 2024

  The toolbox vessels will add firepower and munitions to the Royal Netherlands Navy's existing frigate fleet.

• Land Warfare

  Boxer continues swinging with the announcement of three key milestones in the next four months

  19th September 2024

  The UK’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme appears set for a busy four months of success as the Boxer continues to deliver and be delivered. In an announcement at DVD 2024, the UK Boxer programme is set to see its final prototype vehicle, the first UK-produced serial vehicle, and initial conversion training by the British Army start by January 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  Orbit to supply satcoms for naval military platforms in Asia

  28th August 2024

  The satellite systems will provide continuous connectivity across multiple frequencies.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden orders SEK700 million Giraffe 1X surface radar

  30th August 2024

  Saab will provide integration on the radar which will be installed on a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

• Land Warfare

  DroneShield to boost production of CUAS systems in face of rising demand

  20th June 2024

  Eurosatory exhibitor DroneShield has a heritage in the CUAS and is riding high with demand for its products from small UAS detectors to the large DroneSentry-X system.

• Naval Warfare

  Airbus and Rohde & Schwarz boost Royal Navy connectivity

  10th September 2024

  A Memorandum of Understanding between the companies is aimed at increasing communications resilience for the fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  Is the US Navy’s new DDG(X) destroyer facing cancellation?

  6th June 2024

  The projected costs for the DDG(X) destroyer project are spiralling, its technologies need to be matured and the USN has more pressing priorities. If the programme begins to repeat some of the mistakes made on previous major surface combatant procurements then DDG(X) is likely to face the axe.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems wins $4 million in DARPA cash for AI programme

  11th September 2024

  The challenges of getting artificial intelligence into a jet fighter’s cockpit have proved considerable to date. BAE Systems will take a machine-learning approach to the problem.

• Air Warfare

  Bell Textron and Boeing’s Aurora selected for next phase of DARPA’s X-Plane

  29th May 2024

  The Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) project, a joint DARPA/US Special Operations Command effort to design, build and fly an X-plane, will attempt to demonstrate the key technologies and integrated concepts that enable a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence.

• Digital Battlespace

  UK Space Command launches first military satellite

  19th August 2024

  Tyche satellite will deliver military situational awareness for Ministry of Defence decision-making.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy to get two new generation FREMM frigates under a US$1.62 billion deal

  31st July 2024

  The Bergamini-class frigates for the Italian Navy are based on the Franco-Italian multipurpose European frigate design (Fregata Europea multi-missione or FREMM) the latest order is for a new generation of two ships.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Data links

  Data links | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

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

  Sky Scout-X [Thailand]

  Programme Background At the Defence & Security (D&S;) 2019 show in Bangkok, RV Connex displayed a variant of this Sky Scout, the Sky Scout-X. This ...

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

  Watchkeeper X (Contracted) [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to potentially produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania. U-TacS is a ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• Fighter - multirole

  KF-X Development - South Korea

  In May 2018, Indonesia renegotiated the terms of the contract, with no details disclosed. At ADEX 2019, KF-X full-scale mockup and cockpit design were unveiled. ...

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

  Kaori-X [South Korea]

  Programme Background Kaori-X South Korea's Ministry of National Defense revealed on 23 December 2021 that the indigenous Kaori-X presently under development would combine with future KF-21 Boramae fighters as ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Patrol boats

  115 Defiant

  The Metal Shark 115 Defiant is a monohull patrol vessel designed and manufactured by Metal Shark. It is marketed as a platform for border patrol, police and ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  85 Defiant

  The 85 Defiant is a patrol boat by Metal Shark based on the proven Damen 2606 standardised patrol platform. Thirteen Near Coastal Patrol Vessel vessels ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Patrol boats

  PB40

  The PB(X) is a new generation of patrol boats from Metal Shark being built for the USN Expeditionary Combat Command's Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). The ...

• 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 - USVs

  Sharktech

  Sharktech is a UMV kit developed to be fitted to Metal Shark boats ranging in size from 4.9m to 91m. Metal Shark used ASV Global’s ...

• 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 ...

• Space: radar systems

  TerraSAR-X and ​TanDEM-X

  TerraSAR-X and the more advanced TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for digital elevation measurement) are designed to operate closely together to generate an accurate 3D image of ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems, Land: unattended sensor/surveillance systems

  Spynel-X

  Spynel-X is a passive wide-area surveillance system with automatic intrusion detection and tracking capabilities. The sensor can perform 24/7 early human intrusion alerts over a ...

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

  Rapier X-SkySAR

  The Rapier X-SkySAR is an Italian UAV designed by Sky Eye Systems for civil and military missions. As its name suggests, the UAV features an ...

• Land: air defence radar

  X-TAR

  The X-Band Tactical Acquisition Radar (X-TAR) is a fully coherent X-band radar designed for such applications as early warning for MANPADS and guns or tactical ...

• Loitering munitions

  OWL-X

  Unveiled at the Australia Air Show 2025, the One-Way Loitering (OWL) X, or OWL-X, is an Australian loitering munition.  Unlike the other OWLs in InnovAero's parliament, the ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Fox RRV-x

  The Fox Rapid Reaction Vehicle-x (RRV-x) is an open-topped 4x4 vehicle developed for SF operations. Unlike its predecessor, the Fox RRV-r, the RRV-x is based on ...

• Infrastructure - shelters/accommodation

  Base-X Shelters

  HDT's Base-X folding frame soft-walled shelters range in size from personal tents to Corps-level complexes. Available in the 100, 200, 300 (305), 500 or Dome ...

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

  Wing Loong X

  The Wing Loong X, or WL-X, is a fixed-wing UAV developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Debuted at the Paris Air Show ...