• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA chases comprehensive battlespace awareness with JAWS

  1st March 2022

  DARPA is exercising options on the JAWS contract for all-domain battle management planning software.

• Defence Notes

  Australia diversifies AUKUS into advanced capabilities such as hypersonics

  12th April 2022

  AUKUS is about far more than giving Australia nuclear-powered submarines, with the three countries announcing a wide portfolio of defence collaboration.

• Naval Warfare

  DSA 2022: Japan commissions first ship in new frigate class

  25th March 2022

  Both Japan and South Korea are building frigates, with the former commissioning the first of a new class and the latter launching the last of a class on 22 March.

• Defence Helicopter

  ALIAS-equipped uncrewed helicopter takes off

  9th February 2022

  Flexible and extensible automation architecture offers the prospect of uncrewed US Army rotorcraft missions in the Future Vertical Lift programme.

• Air Warfare

  Air Combat Evolution programme progresses to next phase

  16th February 2022

  The US DoD has commenced the search for partners for the next stage of the ACE programme.

• Digital Battlespace

  CACI joins the MINC club

  7th February 2022

  DARPA selects another industry partner to help it implement the Mission-Integrated Network Control programme.

• Air Warfare

  DARPA selects Dynetics for ACE programme

  17th February 2022

  Dynetics has been selected for the ACE programme, which aims to better inform pilots with group-level situational awareness and coordinated targeting responsibility.

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA picks another MINC partner

  3rd February 2022

  MINC will help the US military move away from static and siloed information architectures towards autonomous, dynamic and mission-driven approaches.

• Land Warfare

  DARPA UGV programme aims to match crewed vehicle speeds

  28th January 2022

  With the goal to develop and demonstrate the ability of autonomous platforms to travel at speeds that maintain pace with crewed vehicles in complex terrain, DARPA will conduct two field experiments this year under the RACER programme.

• Naval Warfare

  DARPA awards contracts for Phase 2 of Manta Ray programme

  27th December 2021

  Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and Martin Defense Group were selected to build and test Manta Ray unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The companies are each developing unique full-scale demonstration systems.

• Air Warfare

  DARPA strives for the future helicopter pilot

  2nd February 2022

  US DARPA has contracted Northrop Grumman to develop a rotorcraft pilot AI assistant.

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA orders support for JADC2 enabling programme

  4th January 2022

  Peraton is supporting the MINC programme, which would help to enable JADC2.

• Naval Warfare

  Anduril acquisition reflects growing interest in AUVs

  3rd February 2022

  The AUV space is seen as a growing sector with deterring and defeating near-peer competitors requiring undersea capabilities.

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA deals out Blackjack ground centre contract

  14th December 2021

  Parsons is to complete a ground operations centre by mid-2024 for the DARPA Blackjack satellite programme.

• Defence Notes

  HAWC makes strides with further flight tests planned

  27th December 2021

  Northrop Grumman continues to work on optimising the performance of US hypersonic missiles.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

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

  LongShot [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement According to DARPA, the objective of the LongShot programme is "to disrupt the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-Knifefish

  The Bluefin-Knifefish UUV was initially developed for the Surface Mine Countermeasure UUV (SMCM UUV) programme for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ships. It is manufactured by General Dynamics ...

• Sea: procedural training

  UUV Training Simulator

  The Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) Training Simulator teaches users how to operate and control a UUV, specifically with reference to mine hunting. The UUV is ...

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

  LongShot

  The LongShot is a developmental air-launched platform intended to increase the survivability of friendly crewed aircraft. In February 2021, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ...

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

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The aircraft has been developed under the  Series ...

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Riptide Mk II

  At Oceanology International 2018, Riptide Autonomous Solutions presented its second-generation micro-UUV – the Mk II. The Riptide Mk II UUV has a maximum speed of ...

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

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

• Military - UUVs

  BlueWhale

  BlueWhale is an autonomous uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Israel's Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

• Military - UUVs

  Iver4 580

  The Iver4 580 is a UUV designed by L3Harris for commercial and defence survey operations.

• Sea: sonar systems

  UUV-3500

  The Klein UUV-3500 side-scan sonar family is composed of the mid-depth (3000m) high-resolution, low-power, dual-frequency and the deep (6000m) variant which is a higher power ...

• Military - UUVs

  D19 UUV

  Naval Group's family of D19 drones are AUVs designated for varying taskings such as identification, surveillance, EW, mobile target, minelaying and MCM operations.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military - UUVs

  Nezha-SeaDart

  The Nezha-SeaDart is a hybrid UAV and UUV developed by  Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). It is a tail-sitting, electric-powered VTOL-capable aircraft. Notably, the platform can ...