• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: Final M-346 Lavi GBTS delivered

  21st November 2018

  Elbit Systems has completed the delivery of the final Ground Based Training System (GBTS) for the Israeli Air Force (IAF) Aermacchi M-346 Lavi trainer aircraft. …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: B-1B Lancer success for ASI

  20th November 2018

  Florida-based Aero Simulation Inc (ASI) has been selected to support the 35 flight and maintenance training devices as part of the B-1B Lancer training systems …

• Naval Warfare

  Oman to receive fast patrol vessels

  19th November 2018

  Ares Shipyard has received a contract to supply 14 Ares 85 Hercules fast patrol vessels to the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard (ROPCG) under a …

• Naval Warfare

  NATO takes stock of Norwegian frigate incident

  14th November 2018

  The accident involving the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate Helge Ingstad will likely have some impact on Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) to which it …

• Digital Battlespace

  Talios qualified by French DGA

  22nd November 2018

  Thales’ new Talios optronic pod has successfully completed qualification testing by the French defence procurement agency (DGA), the company announced on 19 November. Talios combines …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneShield, Thales enter agreement

  17th December 2018

  DroneShield has entered into a teaming agreement with Thales to promote its products in the Spanish market. Under the agreement, Thales Programas De Electronica Y …

• Special Operations

  US Navy goes for MOHOC

  22nd November 2018

  Illustrating the proliferation of special operations technology throughout more conventional force components in the US Department of Defense (DoD), the US Navy Expeditionary Command has …

• Land Warfare

  EDEX 2018: Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 makes an impression

  11th December 2018

  Switzerland’s Rheinmetall Air Defence displayed its Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 at EDEX, attracting attention from visitors.   The remotely controlled autonomous network-capable air defence system comprises …

• Training

  BAE Systems to begin final RAAF Hawk upgrade

  30th October 2018

  BAE Systems Australia has inducted the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF's) final Hawk Mk127 aircraft into its Williamtown maintenance facility ahead of upgrade work, the …

• Training

  Indonesia replenishes trainer aircraft fleet

  19th November 2018

  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on 8 November that it had signed an approximately $90 million contract with Indonesia covering the provision of three KT-1B …

• Land Warfare

  Saab to improve Swedish radars

  10th December 2018

  Saab has received an order to develop and maintain the Swedish armed force’s artillery and weapon locating capability, the company announced on 5 December. The …

• Defence Notes

  Russia to build up Arctic military presence

  18th December 2018

  Russia will build up its military presence in the Arctic over the next year, the defence minister said 18 December, as Moscow seeks to assert …

• Land Warfare

  Poland nears Wisla final decision

  13th December 2018

  The Polish MoD has confirmed that negotiations for the next phase of the Wisla air and missile defence programme are moving forward as planned and …

• Military Logistics

  New C-27J Spartan completes maiden flight

  10th December 2018

  Leonardo completed the first flight of its new C-27J Spartan baseline configuration at its Aircraft Division Turin plant on 3 December. The new C-27J Spartan …

• Training

  Dymech receives indoor live-fire range contract

  27th November 2018

  Dymech Engineering has received a contract from the Canadian Department of National Defence to install a new modular indoor live-fire training range at the Joint …

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 ...