• Defence Notes

  French Army helicopters involved in fatal collision

  2nd February 2018

  French police have confirmed five people were killed on 2 February after two of the country's army training helicopters crashed into each other near a …

• Naval Warfare

  Belgium moves forward on MCM replacement

  30th January 2018

  The Belgian government has approved the purchase of six new mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels under a €1.1 billion ($1.36 billion) investment. The nation will work …

• Training

  Taiwan holds live-fire drills as China tensions mount

  30th January 2018

  Taiwan troops staged live-fire exercises on 30 January to simulate fending off an invasion, as the island's main threat China steps up pressure on President …

• Naval Warfare

  Bulgarian patrol ship programme stalled

  26th January 2018

  The Bulgarian Navy tender for the procurement of two multi-functional patrol ships has stalled after the nominated winner MTG Delfin unilaterally decided to withdraw from …

• Digital Battlespace

  ADECS 2018: Chinese SIGINT capabilities sound alarm bells

  31st January 2018

  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) facility on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands is set to become a major SIGINT facility for its operations in …

• Digital Battlespace

  Luxembourg launches first military satellite

  31st January 2018

  Luxembourg’s first military satellite, GovSat-1, was successfully launched into orbit onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket from Florida on 31 January. The launch of the platform …

• Training

  Brunei pushes for more S-70i pilots

  31st January 2018

  The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) currently has 24 qualified pilots for its 12 strong Sikorsky S-70i fleet and is pushing hard to increase that …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Blackjack nears IOC on US Navy decks

  22nd January 2018

  Insitu is gearing up for IOC of its RQ-21A Blackjack with the US Navy in the second quarter of 2018 with FOC commencing in the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Protector deliveries yet to be finalised as IOC looms

  25th January 2018

  As development of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian continues with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI) announcing the first SATCOM taxi of the system, the timeline for first deliveries of …

• Defence Notes

  Germany calls for NATO talks on Turkey's Syria offensive

  25th January 2018

  Germany voiced ‘great concern’ about Turkey's cross-border offensive against a Kurdish militia in northern Syria and called for NATO to discuss the operation. The German …

• Military Logistics

  ADECS 2018: Australia hunts for new hydrographic survey ship

  23rd January 2018

  The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) continues its search for a new hydrographic survey ship, with an invitation to register going out to industry for suitable …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneGun expected to surge on back of C-UAS demand

  28th January 2018

  The DroneGun counter-UAS system has secured a significant amount of military customer interest in the first year since its launch, with the manufacturers preparing to …

• Digital Battlespace

  More Harris radios for Latvia

  23rd January 2018

  The Latvian Ministry of Defence and the US government signed a new contract in December for the delivery of additional Harris tactical radios and accessories …

• Naval Warfare

  Costing confusion over Type 31e

  31st January 2018

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has defended itself in light of suggestions by the National Audit Office (NAO) that it failed to stipulate the …

• Land Warfare

  Delivery of first Ajax variant imminent

  29th January 2018

  British Army training units are preparing for the imminent delivery of the first Ajax variant after the completion of government acceptance testing (GAT). The first …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Q02 (Qatar)

  Programme Background Reiner developed the Q01 jointly with the Emirate of Qatar, primarily for the Qatar Armed Forces. It was introduced at the ILA Berlin Air ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | MQ-9A Reaper (Iran War replacement) [USAF]

  The USAF is planning to replace the MQ-9 Reapers lost during the 2026 Iran War. As of June 2026, the force has allocated funding to ...

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

  Remote Carrier (RC) [France]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

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

  Remote Carrier (RC) [Spain]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

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

  Remote Carrier (RC) [Germany]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift UAV [Germany]

  Background  Victor U250 agreement On 10 June 2026, at ILA Berlin, Rheinmetall, ERC Systems, and the North Rhine-Westphalia state formed a strategic partnership to lay ...

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

  Remote Carrier [French Navy]

  Background Carrier Air Wing Plan The French Navy presented a broad plan for its carrier air wing for the future decades at a briefing at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Halcon I [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Air Force began requirements assessments, although potential suppliers including Boeing (F/A-18E/F), Lockheed Martin (F-35), Airbus-BAE-Leonardo (Eurofighter Typhoon) are already engaged with ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Quadriga [Germany]

  Programme Background Under Project Quadriga, Berlin is seeking a replacement for its 33 Typhoon Tranche 1. Furthermore, Germany is offering its Tranche 1 fleet to ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Eurodrone [France]

  Background Inception (Stage One) The European MALE RPAS programme was launched in September 2016. Germany, Spain, France and Italy had negotiated and agreed, in collaboration ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper (Iran War replacement) [USAF]

  Background Iran War losses In May 2026, the Congressional Research Service confirmed that 42 MQ-9A Reapers had been shot down during the 2026 Iran War.  Desire ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Framework Contract) [Germany]

  Background Framework contract value Hartpunkt, reporting in March 2026, noted that the German Army has a framework contract worth €2.4 billion ($2.83 billion) for the procurement of loitering ...

• Loitering munitions

  Harop [Azerbaijan]

  Programme Background According to a December 2020 report by the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Azerbaijan acquired an estimated 50 Harop loitering munitions ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Germany]

  Background Need Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, stated in July 2024 that the “German Air Force has expressed a clear need for an ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Mexico]

  Programme Background In April 2016, Mexico finalised an order for seven additional UH-60M platforms. At the time of procurement, the Mexican Air Force already had ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  U760 Ravenstorm

  The U760 Ravenstorm is a Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA) manufactured by Airbus. Unveiled at ILA Berlin 2026, the aircraft is designed to operate alongside fighter pilots in air-to-air ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Wingman

  The Wingman is an Airbus concept drone unveiled at ILA Berlin in June 2024. The loyal-wingman-type fixed-wing UAV was explicitly aimed to accompany and augment ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  U145

  Unveiled in June 2026, the U145, developed by Airbus, is an uncrewed version of the H145 helicopter. The aircraft is being pitched for specific military ...

• ISR/special mission, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Q01 / Q02

  The Q01 is an optinoal piloted MALE prototype aircraft developed by Reiner Stemme Utility Air-Systems GmbH in collaboration with the Emirate of Qatar. The Q02 has ...

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

  Grille

  The Grille 9X DRONEVAC, or Cricket, is an uncrewed multicopter designed for MEDEVAC missions. Designed by Avilus, the UAV is meant to transport injured service personnel to safe ...

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

  AeroForce 380

  The AeroForce 380 is a MALE fixed-wing drone. Based on the Milkor 380, it is tailored for maritime surveillance and Coast Guard missions. It can ...

• Multipurpose missiles, Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  RCM²

  The Remote Carrier Multidomain Multirole Effector (RCM²) is an uncrewed aircraft developed by MBDA. Between a missile and a drone, it is a multi-domain platform that performs ...

• Subsystems: visual

  SeaView R5

  The visual scene created with SeaView R5 can be displayed on a wide variety of display devices including flat, spherical and cylindrical screens. Projection systems ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Victor U250

  The Victor U250 is a heavy lift drone in development by ERC Systems. The UAV has been developed by ERC for critical mission applications including ...

• Military - USVs

  High-Speed Intercept Boat

  Poly Technologies displayed its High-Speed Intercept Boat at DSA in Malaysia in 2016. 

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

  FEANIX

  The Future Effector - Adaptable, Networked, Intelligent, Xpendable (FEANIX) is a long-range Light Remote Carrier (LRC) that can be launched from the air, land, and sea.  Unveiled by ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  SkyStriker

  The SkyStriker is a UAV and loitering munition manufactured by Elbit Systems. It is a cost-effective platform capable of operating fully autonomously and striking targets ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Bars-6

  Bogdan publicly unveiled the 7t Bars-6 (Panther) 4x4 light APC at IDEX 2015, and in July 2016, the company introduced an upgraded version ready for ...

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

  Mini UAV Fixed Wing I

  The Jordan Design and Development Bureau (JODDB) unveiled the hand-launched Mini UAS (also known as Mini UAV Fixed-Wing I) at SOFEX 2016, along with a wider family ...

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

  Mysterious Bee

  The Mysterious Bee hybrid, fixed-wing/quadcopter UAV was unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow 2016. It is designed to operate from ships, small islands, mountainous areas and ...