• Training

  ADECS 2019: Asia has taste for Russian and Chinese trainers

  22nd January 2019

  The Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force received its first Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainer (AJT) from Russia on 20 December, and three more have …

• Special Operations

  USASOC conducts AI/ML workshop

  17th December 2018

  The US Army Special Operations Command has completed a workshop focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), in an effort to better understand …

• Digital Battlespace

  GMS prepares for US Army future digital requirements

  8th December 2018

  General Micro Systems (GMS) is looking to future US Army server and display requirements, with the company researching artificial intelligence (AI), video enhancements, and other …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin awarded exoskeleton work

  4th December 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a contract from the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to enhance the Onyx exoskeleton for future …

• Digital Battlespace

  AOC 2018: Pentagon creates entity to promote artificial intelligence

  28th November 2018

  The US Department of Defense (DoD) has stood up a new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) to spur the rapid development and fielding of new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing, SparkCognition to launch JV

  26th November 2018

  Boeing and SparkCognition plan to launch a new company called SkyGrid that will work to enable the future of urban aerial mobility. Based in Austin, …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA announces AI Next colloquium

  20th November 2018

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced on 16 November that it will be holding an Artificial Intelligence Colloquium (AIC) in March 2019 to …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: Marathon longevity for robotic targets

  27th November 2018

  Marathon Targets' autonomous robot targets are continuing to provide service to warfighters in live training environments more than a decade after their entry into the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Europe gets taste for power in new unmanned future

  15th November 2018

  Europe’s first hydrogen-powered UAS was unveiled on 15 November at London’s Commercial UAV Show, demonstrating how extended flying times could become a reality for smaller …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus confident AI will dominate the future of air power

  7th November 2018

  Artificial intelligence (AI) and greater interoperability of airborne and ground based systems will soon dictate the way in which future air combat programmes unfold. That’s …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF ISTAR Force moves forward with transformation

  24th October 2018

  The UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan developing a counter-IED system

  9th October 2018

  Because the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) does not have any vehicles able to remotely detect IEDs, the Ground Systems Research Center (GSRC) of the …

• Digital Battlespace

  US military investing $2 billion in 'next generation' AI

  10th September 2018

  The Pentagon's research wing said on 7 September that it was investing $2 billion to develop a new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) with ‘human-like …

• Defence Notes

  Congress poised to pass 2019 defence bill

  14th September 2018

  US House and Senate conferees emerged from behind closed doors with a compromise to fund the Pentagon with $674.4 billion next year, while padding missile …

• Digital Battlespace

  Land Forces 2018: Elbit on the charge with Rhino and WINBMS

  11th September 2018

  During Land Forces 2018 in Adelaide, where Elbit Systems of Australia was highlighting its Weapons Integrated Battle Management System (WINBMS), Defence Minister Christopher Pyne announced …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  IA-63 Pampa III -(Follow-On) [Argentina]

  Programme Background After the previous procurement of six AI-63 Pampa III aircraft from 2018 and 2019 agreements, Argentina was left with a further need for 34 aircraft. ...

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

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract Award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat, specifically the V-Bat 400, aircraft to enhance the maritime intelligence, surveillance ...

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

  V-Bat 128 (Brazil)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, Sheild AI announced on its website that it had signed a contract with VSK Tactical which included the 'purchase of [the] V-Bat ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced on the EU tendering website a competition sounding the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

• 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 ...

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

  Skyborg [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Intention Skyborg is one of three USAF Vanguard programs outlined in the Air Force Science and Technology 2030 initiative. The program intends ...

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

  Air Launched Effect (ALE) [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and ...

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

  KF-21 Loyal Wingman [South Korea]

  Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea’s Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and F-5E/F fighters in the ROKAF. ...

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

  V-Bat 128 [Colombia]

  Programme Background Procurement In August 2024, The Rio Times reported that the Columbian Navy had begun to equip its four Type FS 1500  frigates with the V-Bat ...

• OPVs

  Next Generation OPVs (NGOPVs) Procurement [India]

  Programme Background Timeline On 20 December 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders (MDL) to construct six Next Generation Offshore ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Sixth-Generation Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Hanwha industries has confirmed that a new engine is under development to replace the American manufactured F-414 engine; according to reports, the new ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Japan]

  Background Drone Appetite Released in December 2022, the Defence Building Program (DBP) tasked the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) with replacing some human assets with uncrewed ones ...

• Loitering munitions

  Hunter Family [UAE]

  Programme Background IDEX Contract Announcement On 21 February 2023, EDGE announced that its subsidiary, HALCON, had been awarded an AED 1.1 billion ($272.29 million) contract to supply ...

• ISR/special mission

  Strategic Intelligence Aircraft [France]

  Programme Background In February 2018, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, announced that the strategic intelligence aircraft program CUGE Universal EW Capability began ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Replicator 1 [US]

  Programme Background Announcement & Requirement In late August 2023, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced the Replicator programme, an effort to galvanise an industry which ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  TKN-AI

  TKN-AI is a commander’s periscope intended for guiding a vehicle, and battlefield observation and target acquisition by day and night. It is compatible with T-62, ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-20M

  The Ivchenko AI-20 is a Soviet turboprop engine developed in the 1950s. Although the engines were originally designed for civil cargo aircraft servicing medium- and ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  АI-24

  The Ivchenko AI-24 turboprop aircraft engine was initially designed and manufactured in the late-1950s. Manufacturing was later moved to Motor Sich, a Ukraine based manufacturer ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-222-25

  Manufactured by Ukraine’s Motor Sich, the AI-222 is a high thrust-to-weight ratio turbofan engine family developed to power Russian Air Force advanced trainers and light ...

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

  X-Bat

  The X-Bat is an AI-piloted, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) uncrewed fighter jet designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments. Unveiled by Shield AI ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Hivemind

  Developed by Shield AI, Hivemind is an ecosystem of tightly integrated AI software tools and interfaces that leverages several factors to deliver  intelligent and resilient autonomy ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  GA-10FPV-AI

  The GA-10FPV-AI is a Lithuanian FPV quadcopter drone manufactured by Granta Autonomy. The drone can carry a 3kg payload and operate in GNSS-denied environments. In September 2024, Granta Autonomy ...

• Transport

  An-32

  The An-32 (NATO reporting name Cline) is a light military transport aircraft that can be operated in hot temperatures (up to 50°C) and from mountain ...

• Loitering munitions

  Viper 10

  The Viper 10 is a rotary-wing first-person view (FPV) drone from Baltic Viper. The loitering munition quadcopter has a 4kg payload, a reinforced communication system, and ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...

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

  Gogol-M

  The Gogol-M is a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone carrier, or mothership, from Strategy Force Solutions. The system can deliver two first-person view (FPV)-type attack drones to hit precision ...

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

  Sonora

  Sonora is a micro rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Harmattan AI. It is a cost-effective, training-focused UAV built to simulate ISR operations. In June 2025, France acquired 1,000 Sonora ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Scorpio 1000

  Described as an outdoor precision striker, the Scorpio 1000 is a rotary-wing quadcopter from XTEND.  It has advanced AI auto-targeting that enables precise flight without ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• Subsystems: software

  Cyborg

  Cyborg represents the latest migration of SDS’ simulation products to more highly realistic, physics-based applications applicable for most gaming, entertainment or simulation training applications.  Cyborg ...