• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon secures UK Shadow deal

  7th January 2019

  UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a £250 million deal to support the RAF’s intelligence-gathering Shadow aircraft fleet, Defence Minister Stuart Andrew announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems selects partners for Hunter-class CMS

  26th November 2018

  BAE Systems Australia has selected Lockheed Martin Australia and Saab Australia to deliver combat management system (CMS) integration on the Royal Australian Navy's Hunter class …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing to build second KC-46 for Japan

  13th December 2018

  Boeing announced on 10 December that it will supply the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s second KC-46 tanker following the exercise of a contract option by …

• Digital Battlespace

  Finland to purchase Bittium radios

  17th December 2018

  The Finnish Defence Forces' Logistics Command has been authorised to sign an agreement with Bittium Wireless for the procurement of Bittium Tough software-defined radio (SDR) …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: RAAF to get upgraded ACO training system

  19th November 2018

  The Australian Department of Defence has awarded Hawker Pacific and Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems a contract for the delivery of an upgraded version of …

• Military Logistics

  Improved MTS-3060A SmartCan for flightline testing

  11th January 2019

  Marvin Test Solutions began production shipments of its new MTS-3060A SmartCan Gen2 universal O-level armament test set, the company announced on 7 January. The new …

• Training

  Hypoxia-response training for Spanish Air Force

  11th December 2018

  Indra, in partnership with iAltitude, is developing a new flight trainer for simulating low-oxygen conditions that air force pilots may encounter during high-altitude flight. The …

• Land Warfare

  Outgoing US Army chief hails improved readiness

  16th January 2019

  As the US Army prepares to submit is FY20 budget the service remains confident that it will continue to build readiness and prepare for a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Surface Navy 2019: Federal shutdown creating delays for USCG ScanEagle integration

  15th January 2019

  The integration of ScanEagle UAS onto the US Coast Guard (USCG) Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) fleet is being further delayed by the ongoing shutdown …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon to produce Patriot for Sweden

  4th January 2019

  Raytheon received a contract from the US Army in December to produce Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense Systems for Sweden.   The $692.9 million …

• Digital Battlespace

  A-50 early warning aircraft upgraded

  4th January 2019

  Rostec and the Beriev Aircraft Company have completed the upgrade of Russia's A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft to the A-50U version, Rostec announced …

• Military Logistics

  Kellstrom Defense acquires WAM

  9th January 2019

  Kellstrom Defense Aerospace has acquired California-based Williams Aerospace and Manufacturing (WAM), the company announced on 7 January. WAM has developed a range of tooling for …

• Naval Warfare

  Three designs enter UK Type 31e race ahead of end-2019 decision

  10th December 2018

  The UK’s restart of its Type 31e light frigate programme will be fought between three designs, after the government announced that Competitive Design Phase (CDP) …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to support SPY-6 radar integration

  3rd January 2019

  Raytheon received a $114 million contract in December to provide integration and production support for the AN/SPY-6(V) air and missile defence radar. The contract also …

• Digital Battlespace

  Systematic develops VMF gateway for SitaWare Headquarters

  27th November 2018

  Systematic has developed a new variable message format (VMF) gateway for its SitaWare Headquarters C2 software. The VMF Gateway leverages work conducted by Systematic in …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (5-6) [Australia]

  Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated GCS. ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Medium Range Air Defence [Australia]

  Background Faced with a growing threat from China and a vast land and sea territory to protect, Australia is seeking to establish a medium-range ground-based ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (13-14) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Background Goal As stated by the Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney, in March 2022, the Ghost Bat will be an "operational system ...

• Loitering munitions

  Mission Talon Strike [Australia]

  Background Request for Tender (RFT) On 19 May 2025, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), an agency aimed at streamlining defence invocation for the Australian Defence ...

• Military UAS - small

  VTOL UAV [New Zealand]

  Background Defence Capability Plan (DCP) In April 2025, the New Zealand government published the DCP, a document that is essentially a blueprint for what procurements ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Military UAS - small

  DEF129 (Tactical UAS) [Australia]

  Programme Background Programme Announcement The Australian Army announced the Project Land 129 Phase 3 programme in 2017. This announcement led to the release of an industry ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  Air-5416 Project Echidna was an initiative launched in 2001 by BAE Systems for the Australian DoD. Its goal was to overhaul the self protection systems ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman-type, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). In ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Hawkei

  Thales Australia developed the 4x4 Hawkei for the Australian Army's Land 121 Phase 4 Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light (PMV-L) project.  The prototype was unveiled in ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  AGM-88E AARGM

  The AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) is a supersonic, medium-range, air-launched tactical missile compatible with US and allied strike aircraft. Designed to upgrade the AGM-88 ...

• Military UAS - mini

  M Solar-X

  First revealed in August 2020, in February 2024, at its symposium, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) showcased the M Solar-X. This solar-powered fixed-wing drone was ...