• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2013: DARPA expands PCAS focus

  9th September 2013

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has re-scoped the work being carried out under its Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme, it has …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA continues long-range surveillance research

  6th September 2013

  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Trex Enterprises a contract for the Military Imaging and Surveillance Technology Long-Range (MIST-LR) programme, it was …

• Digital Battlespace

  Paris Air Show 2013: Raytheon pushes EPLRS networking solution

  18th June 2013

  Raytheon is offering an upgrade of its EPLRS radio that could meet US Army’s requirement for a lower-tier tactical wireless internet system. EXF191, an upgraded …

• Naval Warfare

  LRASM MK 41 VLS testing successfully completed

  4th June 2013

  A simulated Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) has sucessfully undergone MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) 'push-through' testing, Lockheed Martin reported on 3 June. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK furthers unmanned engineering efforts

  3rd May 2013

  Despite an overall perception of a British engineering industry in stagnation, efforts are underway in the unmanned arena to develop next generation systems to match …

• Digital Battlespace

  ATK to study battlefield imagery technology for DARPA

  22nd April 2013

  ATK will carry out work to study innovative surveillance technology for battlefield imagery under a new study contract awarded by the US Defense Advanced Research …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA UUV undergoes deep sea testing

  5th April 2013

  A new specialised unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) developed under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project has successfully completed deep-water testing by Bluefin Robotics. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  V-Bat UAV demos autonomous payload delivery

  13th March 2013

  MLB has announced that it has concluded a DARPA funded research project that saw its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV, V-Bat, demonstrate precision autonomous …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon to supply MS3 for ACTUV programme

  12th March 2013

  Raytheon is to deliver its first 5th generation medium frequency hull mounted sonar system as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Anti-Submarine …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First Centaur OPA delivered to Swiss DoD

  7th December 2012

  The Swiss Department of Defence (DoD) has taken delivery of the world’s first production Centaur Optionally-Piloted Aircraft (OPA) system from Aurora Flight Sciences. The Centaur …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAIC to develop ACTUV prototype

  13th November 2012

  Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has been awarded a contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design, build and test a new …

• Digital Battlespace

  Silvus Technologies wins DARPA wireless communications prototype contract

  10th October 2012

  Silvus Technologies has announced that it has been awarded a DARPA contract for prototype development for Phase I of the Fixed Wireless at a Distance …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Autonomous aerial refuelling inches closer

  8th October 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has recently completed a series of flight demonstrations with DARPA and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, marking an important …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rockwell Collins selected for UAV cyber security programme

  17th September 2012

  Rockwell Collins has revealed that it has been selected as the prime contractor for the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) portion of the High-Assurance Cyber Military …

• Land Warfare

  Ricardo to stage DARPA FANG vehicle challenge

  2nd July 2012

  Ricardo has announced that it has been selected by the United States Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to stage the FANG Challenge, a series …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) (Group 1-3) [US]

  Background Concept In early February 2026, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) stated that it required the ability to rapidly deploy large quantities of UAS while minimising the ...

• Military UAS - small

  LongShot [USA]

  Background Requirement As explained by GA-ASI in February 2026, LongShot is envisaged as an air-launched UAV that will fly from larger, mostly crewed aircraft and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems and ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IA-63 Pampa III (Follow-On) [Argentina]

  Programme Background After the previous procurement of six AI-63 Pampa III aircraft from 2018 and 2019 agreements, Argentina was left with a further need for 34 aircraft. ...

• Military UAS - small

  Shield AI UAVs [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Reported talks Reporting from the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, the Middle East Eye (MEE) noted that, according to two sources, Saudi Arabia was ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  X-Bat [Poland]

  Background Polish involvement Speaking in June 2026, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Shield AI offered Poland a role in the X-Bat programme, with the ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [India]

  Background Make In India The ‘Make In India’ is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the defence context, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced a competition on the EU tendering website for the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Ship-Bourne VTOL UAV [Singapore]

  Background Multi-Role Combat Vessel  The Republic of Singapore Navy will retire its six Victory-class corvettes and replace them with a new platform, the Multi-Role Combat ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  Background ISR services In April 2026, several companies announced that the USN had selected them to provide Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (COCO) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat 128 [Brazil]

  Background Contract award On 7 February 2022, Shield AI announced on its website that it had, on 21 January 2021, signed a contract with VSK Tactical, through ...

• Loitering munitions

  Seth-X and Anubis (Ukraine aid) [Germany]

  Background German-built, Ukraine-bound The Auterion Airlogix Joint Venture GmbH was established in February 2026 at the Munich Security Conference by the German company Auterion and ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat aircraft, specifically the V-Bat 400, to enhance the maritime ...

• AEW&C

  GlobalEye [Canada]

  Background Canada and Sweden have been strengthening ties, particularly in defence, as middle powers continue to diversify their relationships due to increasingly strained relations with ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - tactical

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The XRQ-73 designation places this aircraft in the experimental ...

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Military UAS - small

  X-68A

  The X-68A is a developmental, host-platform-agnostic air-launched effect (ALE). After developmental contracts were first awarded in 2021 under the LongShot programme, General Atomics (GA-ASI) emerged as the preferred supplier ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Tiltrotors

  X-76

  The X-76 is an operational crewed aircraft designed to combine the flexibility of a helicopter with the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.  Bell Textron is ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar, Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPY-5 VADER

  The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) is an airborne radar system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed to track vehicles and foot traffic ...

• Data links

  TTNT

  The Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) programme is intended to develop, evaluate and demonstrate reconfigurable, affordable, robust, interoperable and evolvable communications technologies to support emerging ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  X-61A Gremlin

  Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, is developing the X-61A Gremlin. This low-cost swarming drone can be outfitted with different payloads, launched by a mothership, recovered ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance radar

  FORESTER

  The Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER) is an airborne radar system that provides stand-off, persistent, wide-area surveillance for situational awareness ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Fleet Command

  Fleet Command was developed by Sonalysts, released in 1999, and published by Electronic Arts. Command-level combat simulation where the player is responsible for navy battle ...