• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop, DARPA set new wireless transmission standard

  28th August 2018

  Northrop Grumman and DARPA have set a new standard for wireless transmission by operating a data link at 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) over a …

• Digital Battlespace

  Viasat’s SATCOM antenna completes certification and testing

  3rd August 2018

  Viasat’s Ku-/Ka-band multi-network, multi-mode Global Mobile Antenna (GMA) 5560-101 has successfully completed the Federal Aviation Administration D0-160G certification process and the US Air Force (USAF) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insight: Unmanned influence on counter-insurgency operations

  21st August 2018

  Since the start of the conflict in Afghanistan, strikes by unmanned systems have become synonymous with its battlespace as international forces seek to combat militant …

• Naval Warfare

  Barak-8 for Israel’s Sa'ar 6-class corvettes

  20th August 2018

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has received a contract to provide the Barak-8 air and missile defence system for the Israeli Navy’s Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Qatar NH90 contract comes into effect

  22nd August 2018

  Leonardo has made effective the contract for the supply of 28 NH90 medium twin-engine multirole military helicopters to the Qatar Ministry of Defence, the company …

• Special Operations

  USASOC looks to expanded convoy training

  7th August 2018

  In the aftermath of the 4 October 2017 convoy attack that resulted in the deaths of four American special operators and four partner Nigerien Soldiers, …

• Naval Warfare

  JFD’s submarine rescue system licenced

  10th July 2018

  A new submarine rescue system developed by JFD has received operational licence from the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian government, JFD announced on 3 …

• Land Warfare

  India goes great guns to rejuvenate artillery

  31st August 2018

  The MoD has approved the acquisition of 150 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) of 155mm L/52 calibre from the Defence Research and Development Organisation …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin to begin production of MMSC

  25th July 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received an Undefinitised Contract Action (UCA) contract from the US government for the production of multi-mission surface combatant (MMSC) for Saudi Arabia. …

• Digital Battlespace

  MHR heads to the UK

  23rd August 2018

  RADA Electronic Industries will supply its Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radars (MHR) as part of a larger system being delivered to the British Army.As part of Rafael …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army, Bell advancing micro-UAS technologies

  24th August 2018

  The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Bell are continuing their joint effort to further advance the development of new micro UAS technologies, the army …

• Defence Notes

  Thorny trade, defence issues await US diplomats in India

  4th September 2018

  Two of US President Donald Trump's top officials are finally heading for talks in India in the week of 3 September, after Washington twice pulled …

• Military Logistics

  USAF orders AAR 463L cargo pallets

  26th July 2018

  AAR Mobility Systems has received $25.3 million in task orders from the US Air Force to produce and repair 463L cargo pallets, the company announced …

• Land Warfare

  Tor-E2 SAM system introduced

  16th August 2018

  Rostec’s JSC Rosoboronexport has introduced the new Tor-E2 short range air defence system for the protection of military and other critical facilities. The Tor-E2 combat …

• Defence Helicopter

  Legal woes hinder helicopter procurement

  8th August 2018

  Legal disputes concerning helicopter procurement processes dominated the first half of 2018 which then muddied a much broader picture of rotary successes between military operators …

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 ...