• Training

  CAE joins Boeing team for German helo competition

  18th July 2018

  CAE Elektronik has signed a teaming agreement with Boeing to support the H-47 Chinook helicopter being offered for the German Air Force’s STH heavy transport …

• Digital Battlespace

  Indra, CODALTEC team for air defence system

  29th June 2018

  Indra and the Corporación de Alta Tecnología para la Defensa (CODALTEC) have extended their collaboration to develop an air defence system to meet Colombian military …

• Land Warfare

  Australia consults on Land 400 Phase 3 programme

  20th June 2018

  The Australian Department of Defence has commenced a consultation process with industry for its latent Land 400 Phase 3 requirement, which will see the army’s …

• Defence Notes

  Ex-spy chief to head Australia inquiry into special forces

  11th June 2018

  Australia's former spy chief is to conduct the third inquiry into the nation's special forces in two years, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) confirmed on …

• Special Operations

  Belgium inaugurates Special Operations Regiment

  6th July 2018

  The Belgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) officially inaugurated the Special Operations Regiment (SOR) on 3rd July as part of a wider move to increase the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI concludes testing of HDD for MQ-25

  24th July 2018

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has concluded performance testing of arresting hook Hold Down Damper (HDD) for its proposed MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling aircraft for …

• Defence Notes

  Air strikes kill seven civilians in southern Syria

  17th July 2018

  Air strikes on 17 July killed seven civilians in a sensitive southwestern province of Syria bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Syrian Observatory for Human …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus assesses A320neo multi-mission version

  24th July 2018

  Airbus is evaluating a military multi-mission version of its A320neo aircraft for a wide range of ISR and military transport operations, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA, Lockheed demo SoSITE technologies

  18th July 2018

  Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and DARPA have performed a series of flight tests demonstrating a system of systems (SoS) approach that enables improved integration across …

• Digital Battlespace

  SPAWAR delivers new comms to CJTF-HOA

  27th June 2018

  US Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has delivered a scalable, enterprise information and communication system for a new joint headquarters facility to Commander, …

• Military Logistics

  Farnborough 2018: Zephyr production facility opens (video)

  17th July 2018

  Wtih the Zephyr S UAV undergoing flight tests in the US, Airbus formally opened its low-rate production facility in Farnborough where a number of systems …

• Digital Battlespace

  Farnborough 2018: GECO ready for UK helicopters

  17th July 2018

  Inzpire has been selected for the UK MoD’s Rotary-wing Cockpit Situational Awareness Tool (CSAT) programme with its GECO military air mission support system, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mi-35M for the Russian Federal Security Service

  2nd July 2018

  Russia's Federal Security Service (FSS) has begun recapitalisation of its attack helicopter fleet with next-generation day/night-capable models to help with border security in the troubled …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IAI, SNC to develop tactical VTOL UAS

  23rd July 2018

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to support the development of a new tactical vertical takeoff …

• Military Logistics

  India delivers Do-228 aircraft to Seychelles

  29th June 2018

  The Indian government has handed over a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Do-228 aircraft to the Seychelles, HAL announced on 26 June. The aircraft will enhance the …

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 ...