• Naval Warfare

  Russia increases Project 22800 corvette order

  29th August 2018

  The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has placed an order for six new small corvettes intended for the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet. Four Project 22800 …

• Defence Notes

  USAF terminates ICBM test after 'anomaly'

  1st August 2018

  The US Air Force (USAF) had to abort a test flight of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile on 31 July after it developed an ‘anomaly’, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USMC acquires additional Backjack UAVs

  23rd August 2018

  The US Marine Corps (USMC) will receive four more RQ-21A Blackjack UAVs following a contract award on 22 August. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded …

• Training

  Kratos receives TSC IV contract

  29th August 2018

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity Training Systems Contract IV (TSC IV) from the US Naval Air Warfare Center …

• Military Logistics

  Saab to provide SDS for RAF’s Typhoons

  30th July 2018

  Saab has been selected by BAE Systems to develop a new pyrotechnic smart self-protection system for the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to defeat radar- and IR-guided …

• Digital Battlespace

  Mattis supports creation of command dedicated to space

  8th August 2018

  US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on 7 August that he ‘absolutely’ agrees the Pentagon should create a new command dedicated to space, but he …

• Training

  CAE USA Mission Solutions acquires AOCE

  3rd August 2018

  CAE USA Mission Solutions has acquired Alpha-Omega Change Engineering (AOCE) to enhance the company’s core capabilities as a training systems integrator, CAE announced on 1 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon receives contract to produce MALD missiles

  3rd August 2018

  Raytheon has received a $96.1 million contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to produce 250 Miniature Air-Launched Decoys (MALD) missiles, the company announced on …

• Defence Notes

  Turkey crisis risks souring military ties with US

  14th August 2018

  The crisis in US-Turkish relations, which already has put Turkey's economy under massive strain, also risks souring military ties between the two NATO allies, unleashing …

• Naval Warfare

  Umoe Mandal to support Type 26 programme

  27th July 2018

  Umoe Mandal has received a contract to supply three shipsets of composite mast and SCOT Sponsons structures for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat …

• Defence Helicopter

  MSPO 2018: Boeing geared up for Kruk decision

  5th September 2018

  Boeing remains optimistic that the Polish MoD will move forward with its attack helicopter programme by formally awarding a contract to an industry partner in 2019.  An …

• Special Operations

  SOF looks to small UAS

  9th August 2018

  USSOCOM has requested industry information for a spectrum of small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) following a sources sought announcement issued on August 7.  The announcement was …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus trials automatic air-to-air refuelling

  13th July 2018

  Airbus Defence and Space has performed an automatic air-to-air refuelling trial of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), the …

• Defence Notes

  Mattis makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan

  7th September 2018

  US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis landed in Kabul on 7 September for an unannounced visit to war-torn Afghanistan, adding his weight to a flurry of …

• Land Warfare

  Russia unveils new surface-to-air missile systems

  22nd August 2018

  Two of the latest Russian SAM systems were unveiled in public for the first time at Army-2018 defence exhibition held in Kubinka near Moscow, with …

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 ...