• Training

  ADECS 2018: RAAF training commences on upgraded Hawk Mk 127 fleet

  26th January 2018

  With 20 of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) BAE Systems Hawk Mk 127 fleet of 33 aircraft now converted to Lead-In Fighter Capability Assurance …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show 2018: SOG builds on SOF heritage

  26th January 2018

  Representatives for knife and tool manufacturer SOG highlighted the company’s SOF heritage and the continuing influence of that community in its equipment designs. According to …

• Defence Notes

  Philippines to protest China’s militarisation of reef

  9th January 2018

  The Philippines will lodge a diplomatic protest with China after Manila questioned if Beijing had reneged on a pledge not to militarise a disputed South …

• Defence Notes

  Turkish air strikes pound Kurdish fighters in Syria

  31st January 2018

  Turkish air strikes pounded the Syrian border region of Afrin on 30 January and fighting raged on two fronts as Ankara pursued its offensive against …

• Military Logistics

  SHOT Show 2018: Pelican Showcases New Log Tech

  25th January 2018

  Pelican is showcasing a range of new tactical and logistics technologies at this week’s SHOT Show.  For example, the company has enhanced its well-known Pelican …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed demos Aegis Ashore solution

  16th January 2018

  Lockheed Martin has demonstrated the ability to increase operational performance, efficiency and reliability of Aegis Ashore by connecting key components of Aegis Ashore and Long …

• Defence Notes

  UK launches corruption probe into Chemring

  18th January 2018

  A criminal probe has been launched into the activities of defence company Chemring and one of its subsidiaries, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced …

• Land Warfare

  GA-EMS to supply capacitors for PEVS

  8th January 2018

  General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) will develop and supply advanced, high energy density capacitors for the US military under a contract from the Joint Non-Lethal …

• Training

  MASS supports Eagle Warrior exercise

  17th January 2018

  MASS has supported the Royal Air Force (RAF)-led exercise Eagle Warrior at the RAF College in Cranwell, the company announced on 12 January. More than …

• Military Logistics

  Singapore Airshow 2018: India leads regional charge for aerial tankers

  29th January 2018

  Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are acquiring, or considering the purchase of, air-to-air refuellers, with India releasing an RfI worth more than $2 billion …

• Naval Warfare

  Will the budget prepare the US Navy for a war with China?

  2nd February 2018

  With an eye on conventional warfare with China and Russia, Pentagon leaders say they are preparing for a maritime fight. But questions loom as to …

• Land Warfare

  Japan orders another Bushmaster quartet

  23rd January 2018

  The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) is awaiting delivery of four additional Thales Bushmaster 4x4 protected mobility vehicles later this year. A Thales Australia spokesperson …

• Defence Helicopter

  Panama commissions new AW139s

  22nd January 2018

  The president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, formally handed over to the country’s National Air Naval Service (SENAN) two new Leonardo Helicopters AW139Ms at the …

• Defence Notes

  ADECS 2018: Babcock contributes to South Korean submarines

  23rd January 2018

  Babcock International has already commenced manufacture of weapons handling and launch equipment in fulfilment of a contract to equip South Korean KSS-III conventional submarines, each …

• Special Operations

  New Zealand receives Supacat vehicles

  17th January 2018

  Supacat's fleet of Special Operations Vehicles-Mobility Heavy (SOV-MH) has been accepted by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, the company announced on 16 January. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Requirement Following a 2019 skirmish with India, Pakistan placed newfound importance on EW and ISR, primarily due to the significant advantage gained during that ...

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

  Multidomian Micro Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Special Notice On 14 November 2024, a Special Notice was released that informed the industry that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was looking for ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian [Denmark]

  Background Arctic Capability Package In February 2021, Denmark published the Arctic Capability package, a commitment to invest in new technologies, particularly uncrewed systems, to improve surveillance ...

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

  Long-Range Drones [Norway]

  Background Andøya Ambition On 3 April 2023, the Norwegian MoD released a statement confirming its plans for Andøya, the northernmost island in its Vesterålen archipelago. In addition to ...

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

  Seeker 400 - First Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long Range One-way Platforms [US]

  Solicitation In October 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) released a solicitation for long-range, one-way platforms. The DIU noted recent conflicts highlighted the asymmetric impact of low-cost, ...

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

  V-Bat 128 [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirement Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) was seeking a platform for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that would significantly expand its surveillance range ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  NH90 NFH-Italy

  Programme Background  The Italian Navy has taken delivery of its first NH90 NFH helicopter in Full Operational Capability (or Step B) configuration in November 2013. ...

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

  CH-4 (First Batch) [Pakistan]

  Programme Background First Batch According to the Pakistan Exim Trade Info website, five aircraft were delivered to the country on 15 January 2021. According to a ...

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

  Mini Intelligence Drone System (SMDR) [France]

  Background Requirement The French Army identified a need for a new tactical UAS to replace the Drac, which entered service in 2008. The Mini Reconnaissance ...

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

  M Solar-X [Thailand]

  Programme Background Roadmap In February 2024, the RTAF unveiled its White Paper 2024. Incorporating lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Hamas War, and other events ...

• Loitering munitions

  Medium-Range Loitering Munition with LEO Satellite Data Link [South Korea]

  Background New Project In April 2025, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced a new project titled “Development of Medium-Range ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (4-5) [Denmark]

  In January 2025, Denmark announced the acquisition of "three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity" and "satellite capacity" worth over ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (4-5) [Denmark]

  In January 2025, Denmark announced the acquisition of "three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity" and "satellite capacity" worth over ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Caihong

  The Caihong (Rainbow), also known as the Cai Hong or CH, is a solar-powered HALE platform designed for near-space flight. It is suitable for military ...

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

  Morning Star

  Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Morning Star is a quasi-satellite, near-space, solar-powered platform. It is designed for both military and civilian applications, including reconnaissance, navigation ...

• ISR/special mission, Maritime patrol

  A320neo M3A

  Currently under development by Airbus, the A320 M3A is the Maritime Patrol version of the civilian A320neo aircraft. The aircraft can be fitted with a wide ...

• Space: radar systems

  ESA Sentinel-1

  Sentinel-1 is a planned constellation of four satellites with two already in orbit and two on order. They carry a payload of a C-band SAR ...

• Space: radar systems

  SARah

  SARah is the planned follow-on system for the SAR-Lupe radar satellite constellation operated by the German Armed Forces. In 2013, it was announced that OHB ...

• Major networking projects

  EAC

  The NATO Communications and Information Agency awarded ACTIA Sodielec a contract in June 2013 to provide NATO with an Extended Advanced SATCOM Network Monitoring and ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Vocality Pro Series

  The Pro Series includes the V25, V50, V150 and V20. These are designed to be used in a central communications hub or as part of ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  S-70UAS U-Hawk

  Unveiled at AUSA 2025, the S-70UAS U-Hawk is an uncrewed version of Sikorsky’s crewed UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter.  It will act as a delivery aircraft for medium-sized uncrewed ground vehicles ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish Maritime

  The FlyingFish Maritime SIGINT system is one of several derivatives of the FlyingFish Airborne Satellite Monitoring System developed by Horizon Technologies. Designed to be mounted ...

• Guided munitions

  GP155B

  The GP155B is a 155mm artillery round developed by Norinco. The GP155B integrates satellite-based guidance systems that are compatible with both the Chinese Beidou Navigation ...

• Data links

  Space CDL

  The Space Common Data Link (CDL) system provides a wideband data link capability adaptable to a variety of space-based applications. It consists of separate transmitter ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish

  FlyingFish is an Airborne Satellite Monitoring System designed to detect and intercept SATCOM from airborne ISR platforms. As a passive system, it cannot be detected ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ULTRA

  The Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA) is a fixed-wing drone from DZYNE Technologies. It is described as a long-endurance, GPS-hardened intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform with full global ...

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

  Pelican / Rumrunner

  The Pelican Cargo is an electric cargo-carrying drone from Pyka. Powered by four electric motors, the Pelican can carry 400lb of cargo in its 70 ...

• Data links

  MiMMC

  Microsat Man-Packable Mission Command (MiMMC) is a satellite-based BLoS communications system providing the ability to extend mission command applications including voice, video and data transfer ...