• Uncrewed Vehicles

  XQ-58A Valkyrie completes first flight

  11th March 2019

  The US Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie UAV demonstrator completed its first flight on 5 March at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona. The Air Force Research Laboratory …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy nears fielding anti-drone lasers on ships

  25th March 2019

  The US Navy plans to begin fielding a handful of ‘low-power’ lasers on ships this year to test their ability to counter growing threats from …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAV Factory to supply UAVs to Latvia

  8th March 2019

  UAV Factory is set to supply UAVs for the Latvian armed forces under an agreement signed with the Latvia Ministry of Defence announced on 5 …

• Defence Notes

  Podcast: Avalon, counter-UAV tech, armoured vehicle market and more

  8th March 2019

  Welcome to Episode 7 of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2019: New UAVs break cover Down Under

  4th March 2019

  Indra Australia displayed a new rotary-winged UAV at the Avalon Air Show, and outlined plans to use it for flight calibration and testing the signal …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USMC looks to buy Reaper UAVs

  14th March 2019

  The USMC wants to begin buying a handful of MQ-9A Reaper UAVs in FY2020 to meet an ‘urgent operational need,’ according to a US Navy …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2019: Australia launches Shadow replacement

  26th February 2019

  Coinciding with the Avalon Air Show, the Australian Army released an industry engagement paper covering Project Land 129 Phase 3, the planned replacement of the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Russia to field a new target drone system

  15th March 2019

  The Russian MoD is set to launch in April the state flight testing of the new 9F6021 Adyutant aerial target system. Developed by Izhevsk-based Kupol, …

• Land Warfare

  EOS T2000 turret competing for Land 400 IFV programme

  5th March 2019

  At the Avalon Air Show, the Australian Department of Defence launched Electro Optic Systems’ (EOS) T2000 turret for armoured vehicles. Defence Minister Christopher Pyne was …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2019: Australia delineates shipborne UAV approach

  27th February 2019

  The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) revealed more details of what it is looking for in its next maritime tactical UAV, which will be acquired under …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Inmarsat selects Alpha for UAV Pop-up Lab

  25th February 2019

  Alpha Unmanned Systems has been selected to participate in Inmarsat’s UAV Pop-up Lab, a programme aimed at exploring the advantages of satellite-enabled UAS with commercial …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insight: UK government’s check and balances for drones

  28th February 2019

  Over the past 12 months there has been a number of incidents at various international airports where UAV sightings have halted air traffic for a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk arrives Down Under in style

  28th February 2019

  After a 13h flight from Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, a USAF RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk touched down at Avalon near Melbourne. This marks the first …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK MoD opts for high-risk robot acquisition strategy

  5th March 2019

  Autonomous kit will be deployed by the UK MoD in Iraq, Afghanistan and during Operation Cabrit in Estonia before the end of 2019, heralding a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norway seeks VTOL UAV for coast guard vessel testing

  19th February 2019

  A tender has been issued seeking a VTOL UAV which will be used for the testing of its potential to carry out surveillance from a …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

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

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

  Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [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 - mini

  Mini UAV (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian Army wants to procure UAVs to enhance the organic tactical ISR capabilities of its ground forces. According to Bulgarian media, a ...

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

  Mini UAV - Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) [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 - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Micro UAV - Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) [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 ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Small UAV [Belgium]

  According to reports, the Belgian Land Force is set to launch various procurement programmes to expand and diversify its UAV fleet. One of these is ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Small UAV [Belgium]

  According to reports, the Belgian Land Force is set to launch various procurement programmes to expand and diversify its UAV fleet. One of these is ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Mi2 Challenge [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The USN wants a UAV to be flown in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment; since it would be launched ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAV (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian Army wants to procure UAVs to enhance the organic tactical ISR capabilities of its ground forces. According to Bulgarian media, a ...

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

  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 - rotary-wing, 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 - fixed-wing

  Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV (Malaysia)

  Programme Background Tender Issued As reported by Shephard, on 18 June 2021, Malaysia issued a tender for fixed-wing hybrid VTOL UAVs.  Requirement The tender stated that Malaysia required ...

• Military UAS - small

  Penguin C (Latvia)

  Programme Background In 2018, the Latvian MoD signed an agreement with Latvian companies UAV Factory and Atlas Aerospace to procure UAVs for the LNAF. Under ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

• Universal UAV

  Universal UAV is designed for multiple missions in the field of surveillance and reconnaissance, monitoring forest fires or fisheries. It consists of a carbon-fibre composite ...

• 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 ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Training

  Resource UAS offers a range of UAV training, from foundation courses to live flying on a range of aircraft. Each can be tailored to suit ...