• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Europe gets taste for power in new unmanned future

  15th November 2018

  Europe’s first hydrogen-powered UAS was unveiled on 15 November at London’s Commercial UAV Show, demonstrating how extended flying times could become a reality for smaller …

• Naval Warfare

  Australia names OPV class as Arafura

  15th November 2018

  VADM Mike Noonan, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), announced on 15 November that the name of the navy’s new fleet of OPVs will …

• Land Warfare

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: China’s ‘Terminator’ isn’t just science fiction

  8th November 2018

  The company Wuhan Guide Infrared made its debut at the Zhuhai Air Show, and one of its more fascinating items on display was the QN-506 …

• Naval Warfare

  US admiral takes stock of Sino-US tensions

  22nd November 2018

  As the 97,000t carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) steamed into Chinese-controlled Hong Kong on a port call on 21 November, RADM Karl Thomas talked about the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian navy creates new UAV squadron

  25th October 2018

  The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) stood up a new UAV squadron – christened 822X Squadron – at HMAS Albatross on 25 October. It marks a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Orbital UAV extends agreement with Insitu

  22nd October 2018

  Orbital UAV has extended its long term agreement (LTA) with Insitu for the delivery of multiple propulsion systems and services across Insitu’s range of UAS …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  China steps up drone race with stealth aircraft

  9th November 2018

  China is unleashing stealth drones and pilotless aircraft fitted with AK-47 rifles onto world markets, racing to catch up to US technology and adding to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Euronaval 2018: Hero prepares for flight trials from Italian FREMM

  24th October 2018

  Leonardo’s AWHero VTOL UAV will begin flight trials off of an Italian Navy FREMM frigate early next year, as preparations continue for its participation in …

• Defence Notes

  Indo Defence 2018: Indonesia’s defence capabilities enhanced through sharing practices

  8th November 2018

  The island nation of Indonesia is one of independence; however, through ongoing and new transfer of technology (ToT) programmes the indigenous production of equipment is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: Quantum radars, laser weapons and technology galore

  8th November 2018

  China likes to talk up its technological prowess, often in a peremptorily way, but at least there was evidence of the directions the country is …

• Defence Notes

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: HD-1 missile takes international aim

  8th November 2018

  A newcomer at Airshow China 2018 was the HD-1 supersonic cruise missile from Guangdong Hongda Mining, this weapon being targeted directly at the export sector …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Helitech 2018: Euroavionics places hopes for UAV space in Vader

  19th October 2018

  Euroavionics, a subsidiary of Hensoldt, is working to introduce a new VTOL UAV – dubbed Vader – into the already crowded unmanned market as the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  RQ-21A Blackjack flies in Hawaii

  24th October 2018

  The US Marine Corps’ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 has conducted its first flight of the RQ-21A Blackjack UAS at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Philippine police order 700 UAVs

  23rd October 2018

  The Philippine National Police (PNP) moved towards becoming a major UAS user in the country when it logged an order for approximately 700 units, as …

• Naval Warfare

  Euronaval 2018: Nexter debuts RapidFire Naval

  24th October 2018

  Nexter, partnered with Thales, showcased its RapidFire T40AA anti-air and anti-surface solution for naval vessels at Euronaval. Based on the CTA International CTAS 40mm gun …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Family of UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background RfP The Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information about different platforms that would enable the force to "standardise" its UAV ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

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

  UAV-2 Gavilan [Ecuador]

  Background Domestic Development Development of the UAV-2 Gavilan by CIDFAE began in 2009, with the FAE unveiling the UAV in 2014. Reportedly, the FAE has five ...

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

  UAV Tactical Level [Norway]

  Programme Background Request for Information (RfI) In September 2022, the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) launched a request for information in preparation for a possible ...

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

  Embarked VTOL UAV [South Korea]

  Programme Background VTOL Development In January 2024, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it would commence development of a VTOL-capable rotary-wing UAV that ...

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

  Albatroz [Brazil]

  Programme Background Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) In August 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Brazilian Navy and Stella Tecnologia to evaluate ...