• Defence Helicopter

  Pacific 2019: Leonardo offers helicopters and UAVs to Australia

  9th October 2019

  Leonardo has two Australian Army helicopter tenders and two UAV competitions – one for the army and the other for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-25 test aircraft takes off

  20th September 2019

  The US Navy’s MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler has completed its first test flight.Known as T1, the MQ-25 test aircraft completed the autonomous two-hour flight under …

• Defence Helicopter

  MD contracted for Afghan Cayuse Warrior support

  30th August 2019

  MD Helicopters has been awarded a $50.4 million contract modification for logistics support of the Afghan Air Force’s (AAF) MD 530F Cayuse Warrior rotorcraft fleet. …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed progresses with WCSP upgrade

  30th August 2019

  Lockheed Martin UK completed 20 battlefield mission (BFM) assessments of the new configuration of the British Army’s Warrior infantry fighting vehicle in August, which have …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Royal Navy receives MAST 13

  16th September 2019

  L3Harris Technologies has delivered the Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) 13 autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) to the Royal Navy, the company announced on 11 September. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI updates MQ-9A Reaper progress with USMC

  17th September 2019

  The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper UAS has flown over 4,800 flight hours of direct support reconnaissance for the US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) …

• Land Warfare

  GD UK to take part in AWE19

  20th September 2019

  General Dynamics UK is to participate in the British Army Warfighting Experiment 2019 (AWE19) following the acceptance of its proposal for Manned Unmanned-Teaming (MUM-T).  For …

• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2019: What to expect from the UK MoD

  4th September 2019

  With the UK government having already been through three defence secretaries over the course of 2019, this year’s DSEI brings much speculation about what the Ministry …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sea Hunter in new demonstration

  20th September 2019

  Leidos’ Sea Hunter USV has taken part in a demonstration using a new, advanced sensor system, the company announced on 19 September. The demonstration was …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK police adopt Centrik for UAS operations

  19th September 2019

  The Centrik UAS operational management system has been adopted by the UK’s police unmanned systems programme, the Alliance Drone Team. Widely used in civil aviation, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy releases Large Unmanned Surface Vessel RfP

  12th September 2019

  The US Navy released the Request for Proposal (RfP) for its first block of Large Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSVs), on 5 September. The navy is …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army explores unmanned swarm applications

  11th September 2019

  US Army Futures Command (AFC) is exploring the potential to deploy UAS and UGVs to act as complementary swarm components, with multiple autonomous systems acting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indonesia tries out Chinese CH-4B drones

  19th September 2019

  The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) trialled a couple of Chinese-manufactured CH-4B MALE UAVs during the Dharma Yudha joint exercise from 9-12 September. This was the …

• Land Warfare

  Australia’s first Boxer enters the ring

  24th September 2019

  Rheinmetall Defence Australia handed over the first Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicle acquired under Project Land 400 Phase 2 to the Australian Army at Enoggera Barracks, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Titan UGV fires Javelin missiles

  12th September 2019

  Javelin missiles have been successfully fired by a remote launcher mounted on a Titan unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the US Army Redstone Test Center, …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior [India]

  Programme Background Make In India The 'Make In India' is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the context ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax IFV [UK]

  Programme Background Prior to commencing development of the Ajax the UK utilised the Warrior was its primary IFV. However, the Warrior entered service in 1987 making ...

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

  Naval Collaborative Combat Air Vehicle (N-CCAV) [India]

  Programme Background CATS Warrior The Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned, uncrewed and crewed family of aircraft in development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

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

  Orbiter 3 (Croatia)

  Programme Background The Croatian government launched a competitive tender for the procurement of a short-range UAV in October 2017. Although the tender was opened on ...

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

  AR100-H [Germany]

  Programme Background In May 2022, it was announced that 145 AR100-H drones would be supplied to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). At the time of ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Programme Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Larger UAVs [Estonia]

  2026-2029 Defence Investment On 30 July 2025, the Republic of Estonia’s Minister of Defence, Hanno Pevkur, announced an approved development plan, allocating more than €10 billion ($11.42 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | New Generation Minehunters/Offshore (NGM/A) (1-4) [Italy]

  The Italian Navy is procuring twelve new multi-purpose mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels under the Cacciamine Nuova Generazione (CNG) programme. The programme includes coastal-going units (NGM/C) ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | New Generation Minehunters/Offshore (NGM/A) (1-4) [Italy]

  The Italian Navy is procuring twelve new multi-purpose mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels under the Cacciamine Nuova Generazione (CNG) programme. The programme includes coastal-going units (NGM/C) ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Ermine (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western governments have sought to provide as much assistance as possible to the Ukrainian ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | New Generation Minehunters/Coastal (NGM/C) (1-5) [Italy]

  The Italian Navy is procuring twelve new multi-purpose mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels under the Cacciamine Nuova Generazione (CNG) programme. The programme includes coastal-going units (NGM/C) ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-X [Japan]

  There is no mention of the AH-X in the 2019-2023 Medium Term Defence Plan, so it is possible that the requirement has quietly been postponed. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - USVs

  SHARC

  The Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft (SHARC) wave glider platform is a JV developed between Boeing and Liquid Robotics. The SHARC is able to deliver ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...

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

  NRQ-21

  Insitu displayed the NRQ-21 Integrator at the Unmanned Warrior 2016 event in Wales. The aircraft has been designed to carry out tasks on land and ...

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

  Outlaw SeaHunter

  Outlaw UAVs are used by military and research agencies for training, testing, data collection and system development. In the 114-137kg maximum take-off weight class, SeaHunter ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Mounted Warrior

  Mounted Warrior will provide an integrated system-of-systems ensemble designed to improve the survivability, lethality and combat effectiveness of armoured vehicle crewmen. The system leverages capabilities ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Warrior

  The Warrior IFV entered service with the British Army in mid-1987. A total of 789 vehicles were delivered in IFV, infantry command, anti-tank, recovery, repair, ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  MIHDS

  The Modular Integrated Helmet Display System (MIHDS) is designed and developed jointly by General Dynamics Mission Systems, USA and Microvision Inc. The system's SD2500 design ...

• Military - USVs

  MAST

  The Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) was developed by ASV Global and Roke Manor Research under funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  Warrior 2020

  Finland’s Warrior 2020 programme is focused on improving individual soldier equipment in the five capability areas defined by NATO: C4I, lethality, mobility, survivability and sustainability. Warrior ...

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

  CATS Warrior

  Manufactured by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior is a medium-altitude long-endurance UAS part of the CATS family ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MUBC

  The Modular Universal Battery Charger (MUBC) is a scalable charging system for a range of military and commercial batteries. It provides for the addition of ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58D Kiowa Warrior

  The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior is a two-person, light scout helicopter with a day/night mast-mounted sight, glass cockpit and four-bladed rotor system. Following the retirement of ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F Cayuse Warrior

  An evolution of the OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter, the MD 530F was initially Federal Aviation Administration-certified in July 1985 as the Model 369FF. It ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  Athena 511

  The Athena 511 is a compact all-in-one GPS-aided INS air data system. The system’s integrated inertial sensing uses a tactical grade, ring-laser gyro IMU, with ...

• Land: RWS

  Unmanned T40

  Nexter is developed an unmanned variant of its T40 two-man turret to meet the growing demand for these types of systems. Like the standard T40, ...