• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hermes takes flight off the UK coast

  11th September 2020

  Elbit Systems announced on 11 September that its Hermes 900 MALE UAV has successfully completed a series of flight demonstrations for the UK Maritime and Coastguard …

• Defence Notes

  PODCAST: Terminator-style research, Polish UAV wingman and spotlight on Japan

  11th September 2020

  Welcome to Episode 36 of the second series of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert …

• Digital Battlespace

  RADA logs $10 million in new orders since mid-July

  14th September 2020

  RADA Electronic Industries has received orders worth $10 million since mid-July 2020, the Israeli company reported on 14 September. Total cumulative orders for the year to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Lockheed Martin suggests wingman UAV for Poland

  4th September 2020

  Lockheed Martin is aiming to offer a new UAV, based on existing systems, for the Harpi Szpon (Harpy Claw) programme in Poland. The new UAV …

• Land Warfare

  Roketsan tests TRG-230 with laser seeker head

  15th September 2020

  Roketsan is engaged in an internal R&D; project to integrate a laser seeker head with its TRG-230 surface-to-surface missile, to increase its precision and enable …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop integrates more systems on MQ-8C

  9th September 2020

  Northrop Grumman obtained an $11.64 million order from US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on 8 September, to provide non-recurring engineering for qualification testing and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Troop protection system blends UAVs and AR

  8th September 2020

  Israeli and US partners have launched an operational pilot programme for force protection that employs small UAVs and soldier-borne AR technology. ‘The programme has produced …

• Defence Notes

  'Grey zone' operations could benefit from directed-energy weapons

  17th September 2020

  In addition to the benefits that lasers and other directed-energy weapons (DEW) can provide to armed forces in terms of new capabilities, they represent a …

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon continues MAD-FIRES work

  1st September 2020

  Raytheon is to perform Phase 3 tasks for DARPA on the Multi-Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) programme, under a $32.49 million contract …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First Loyal Wingman ground tests occur in Australia

  16th September 2020

  Boeing Australia announced on 15 September that the first ground engine tests of the Loyal Wingman unmanned aircraft had taken place. This is a necessary step before …

• Naval Warfare

  Underwater threat attracts Israeli attention

  3rd September 2020

  Israel is intent on developing and procuring new technologies to counter underwater threats to its vessels, merchant ships and natural gas infrastructure in the Mediterranean. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  South Korea pursues a stealthy UCAV and much more

  20th August 2020

  South Korea is doggedly rolling out new UAVs for the nation’s armed services, as well as developing new high-tech aircraft for future use. One is …

• Defence Notes

  Malaysia issues UAV and MPA tenders, amidst acquisition criticisms

  26th August 2020

  Malaysia issued two tenders on 25 August for the supply of two maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and three MALE UAVs. Few details or performance specifications, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  German Navy starts Skeldar V-200 tests

  19th August 2020

  The German Navy is conducting static and dynamic shipboard tests of the Skeldar V-200 VTOL UAV on the corvette Braunschweig. Social media posts from senior …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  India wants UAVs plus a counter-UAS system fast

  19th August 2020

  Vulnerability of UAVs is a concern to the Indian Army, so it is looking at the matter ‘from a strategic perspective and for tactical applications,’ …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project NYX: Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform (LACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) strategy Reflecting on lessons from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Background Retirement and replacement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be ...

• Military UAS - small

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR5 [Portugal]

  Methodology PGO The PGO has been set to 100% because the programme has been contracted, with deliveries due very shortly. Units required No details were ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) (Mini UAV) [Spain]

  Background VERT In June 2025, the Spanish Government announced a €72 million (US$82.5 million) investment in the Vehículo de exploración y reconocimiento terrestre (VERT), which translates ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAV [Peru]

  Background UAV FAP UAV FAP is a family of Peruvian UAVs that have been developed by the Peruvian Air Force and the Centre for Research ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) (Micro UAV) [Spain]

  Background VERT In June 2025, the Spanish Government announced a €72 million (US$82.5 million) investment in the Vehículo de exploración y reconocimiento terrestre (VERT), which translates to the land exploration ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

• Military UAS - small

  Thor [Israel]

  Background Various Contracts On 3 December 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced it had purchased “advanced drones and autonomous systems” from Elbit Systems in various ...

• Military UAS - small

  Domestically developed UAV [Mexican Navy]

  Background Domestic development In 2025, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced initiatives for the Army and Navy to independently develop UAV prototypes, as part of a broader ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  AR3 EVO

  Unveiled at DSEI 2025, the AR3 EVO is a small fixed-wing UAV from Tekever. The system is highly modular and can be configured in a ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR6

  Unveiled in mid-2026, the AR6 is an autonomous heavy-lift drone from Tekever. It features a unique digital-displacement hydraulic powertrain and has been designed from the ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR2 Carcará

  The AR2 Carcará is a hand- or catapult-launched mini-UAV designed to support search and rescue, surveillance and patrol operations in amphibious and maritime environments. It is ...

• Military UAS - mini

  AR4

  The AR4 is a hand-launched mini-UAS designed for rapid mobile deployment. Manufactured by Tekever, the UAS is suitable for both military and commercial ISTAR applications.  A ...

• 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 ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8D

  Marketed as a cost-effective solution, the PT-8D is a wide-area search and ISR payload from Overwatch Imaging. It features an RGB colour camera and a ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8DN

  The PT-8DN is a versatile day-night payload from Overwatch Imaging.  It has dual RGB sensors of different focal lengths and an HD LWIR sensor. It also ...

• Military UAS - small

  Raybird

  Developed by Skyeton, the Raybird is a versatile, small-class, fixed-wing UAV. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have used the aircraft since late 2021. In September 2026, the US ...

• Military UAS - small

  VTOL UAV

  The Defence Technology Institute launched the VTOL UAV R&D; project in cooperation with the Naval Research and Development Office, Royal Thai Navy and private sector ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MCOM UAV

  The Mundo Compuesto (MCOM) UAV is a fixed-wing UAV designed to provide surveillance during both day and night for military and security force users. It uses ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  UAV TRS

  Celestia’s UAV Tactical Recovery System (TRS) assures controlled and safe landing of a UAV at a pre-designated GPS location. It can be deployed on command ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Simulators

  Elbit Systems has developed simulation systems to train personnel in UAV operation, from generic UAV training for initial screening procedures up to full mission, high-fidelity ...