• Air Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Honeywell finds local partner to support oxygen system of Australian F-35As

  24th March 2025

  The last Australian F-35A was delivered in December 2024 and Honeywell is partnering with RFD Australia to support the Back-up Oxygen Systems (BOS) of the fleet.

• Land Warfare

  Arthur radars and more Archer howitzers committed to Ukraine by Sweden

  14th March 2025

  Ukraine has highlighted the need for howitzers and radars as well as artillery and this commitment from Sweden will help to fill that gap and provide medium-distance fire in a defensive role post-war.

• 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.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy may look to foreign suppliers to accelerate shipbuilding programmes

  1st July 2025

  The US Navy (USN) is currently reassessing its acquisition efforts and seeking ways to reduce the multiple delays across the shipbuilding initiatives.

• Defence Notes

  Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent

  3rd December 2024

  The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.

• Air Warfare

  Rheinmetall to deliver C-390 simulators

  12th February 2025

  The order is from the Netherlands and is the third order worldwide, and the second in Europe after contracts from Embraer and Portugal.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea starts mass assembly of its MUAV

  17th December 2024

  Construction of the Busan-based production facility has also now been completed, with the new medium-altitude reconnaissance drones destined for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) by 2028.

• Naval Warfare

  Fincantieri and TKMS partner for Philippine submarine bid

  17th April 2025

  The companies have banded together to promote the Fincantieri U212 NFS offering, and hinted that the collaboration may not be a one-bid phenomenon.

• Air Warfare

  NATO funds portable charging technology for Arctic deployment

  8th May 2025

  Technology provided by Quaze Technologies will enable wirelessly charging of unmanned systems.

• Naval Warfare

  Canada awards Seaspan a construction contract for the first Coast Guard’s Polar Icebreaker

  10th March 2025

  CCGS Arpatuuq will be the first heavy cold weather vessel entirely built in Canada.

• Training

  US and South Korea train together in North Korean threat readiness

  13th August 2024

  This year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are informed by real-world geopolitics and likely threats.

• Air Warfare

  AUSA 2025: AeroVironment showcases new variant of Switchblade loitering munition family

  15th October 2025

  The new Switchblade 400 was on display alongside new variants of existing drones: the Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20.

• Land Warfare

  Hanwha Defence Australia continues rush of deal signings as it picks up speed with Redback

  9th April 2025

  Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) has signed a deal with the UK’s Pearson Engineering for combat dozer blades for Redbacks, a contract which follows an engine contract and hull production contract in the past fortnight.

• Land Warfare

  Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings

  23rd October 2025

  Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s A$12 billion Perth shipyard upgrade offers positive sign for AUKUS

  16th September 2025

  While the Australian government insists the investment is predominantly aimed at strengthening the country’s defence capabilities, the upgrade also bodes well for the AUKUS pact which Australia’s defence minister said “is going well”.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Data links

  Data links | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Special Mission Brigade) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• Frigates

  Daegu Class (FFX Batch II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The Incheon and Daegu classes are part of a re-capitalisation effort to replace the older Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates with a new FFX class ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (North Macedonia)

  Programme Background In its Long-Term Defence Capabilities Development Plan (LTDCDP) published in 2019, the North Macedonian MoD outlined plans to acquire Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KAAV II

  Programme Background The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) operates one Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship and has launched another to support provide operational lift for the ROKMC. ...

• 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 ...

• Destroyers

  Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The third element of South Korea's "Three Axis System" - a complex of measures designed to track, detect, and eliminate an adversary’s ballistic missiles and ...

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

  KUS-FS (ROKAF) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Inception The Aerospace Division of Korean Air (KAL-ASD) commenced developing the MUAV in 2008 in response to a ROKAF requirement for a MALE UAV ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Counter-UAS systems

  Drone Killer

  The Uconsystem Drone Killer was unveiled in October 2015 and was developed in response to a UAV threat from North Korea, which saw four North ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-7 (Nodong-1)

  The Hwasong-7 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-6. It has the NATO reporting name Scud D. It was designed with ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-6

  The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-5, which itself is based on the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. Its NATO reporting ...

• Artillery rockets

  K33

  K33 is a 130 mm unguided artillery rocket developed by South Korean Hanwha for the K136 Kooryong MLRS and currently in use with the K239 ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Gumdoksuri Class (PKX-A)

  The Gumdoksuri-class fast attack craft, also known as the PKX-A-class, was designed to replace the Republic of Korea Navy's ageing fleet of Sea Dolphin-class vessels ...

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

  Saetbyol-4

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August  One drone, which appears to be called the Saetbyol-4, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III/HDD-10000) Batch 1

  The Sejong the Great-class destroyers were built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as the third iteration of its KDX continuous destroyer construction programme ...

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

  Multirole UAV

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone closely resembled General Atomics' (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper, and, ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star)

  The SSM-700K Haeseong, also known as the C-Star, is a surface-launched, anti-ship cruise missile. It was made to be a replacement for the Hae Ryong ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  RemoEye-002B

  RemoEye-002B is a close-range mini-UAV constructed using composite materials that can be prepared and launched in 5min. Its features include changeable flight modes during mission, ...

• Light UGVs

  SCOBOT 200

  The SCOBOT 200 is a larger, two-tracked version of the SCOBOT 100 (see separate entry). It can be used for EOD tasks. It was tested ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DD)

  The Maya-class (27DD) destroyers are the latest in a long line of modern destroyer classes for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Well aware of ...

• Frigates

  Krivak Class

  The Krivak-class (Project 1135) frigates first entered service in 1970 and various types of the class have entered service, particularly the Indian Navy's Talwar-class (see ...

• Corvettes

  Hainan Class (Type 037)

  The Hainan-class (Type 037) class is a range of corvette-sized vessels, mostly in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, which cover a range ...

• Corvettes

  Pohang Class

  The Pohang-class corvettes were designed and built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), and a total of 24 ships were constructed of either anti-surface ...