• Defence Notes

  Stretched UK proposes standing invite to EU operations

  9th June 2018

  With the UK government seeking to obtain a ‘standing invitation’ to contribute with the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), officials have said that …

• Naval Warfare

  Canadian naval shipbuilding in the spotlight

  4th June 2018

  A multitude of naval announcements at this year’s CANSEC event indicate that 2018 could herald a positive era for Canada’s maritime industry. However, this prosperity …

• Defence Notes

  Government change likely to impact Malaysian defence procurements

  23rd May 2018

  The discovery by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed’s newly elected government that Malaysia has a MYR1 trillion ($251.7 billion) debt is likely to impact ongoing and …

• Military Logistics

  Marshall to support Bangladesh C-130Js

  14th May 2018

  Marshall Aerospace and Defence has signed a contract with the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) for the support of its C-130J aircraft, the company announced on …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Calytrix sharpen Titan's industry impact (video)

  16th May 2018

  Titan Vanguard - a new virtual and gaming simulation for military training is being developed by Australian industry partners Calytrix and TitanIM.  Shawn Parr, CEO …

• Defence Notes

  US approves munitions sale to Bahrain

  22nd May 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of General Purpose (GP) and Penetrator Warhead bomb bodies to Bahrain, …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army miscalculates number of Apaches needed

  29th June 2018

  Question marks are surrounding the US Army's AH-64E Apache buy after service leaders failed to properly analyse the number of aircraft needed for testing and …

• Training

  BISim releases updated VBS3 versions

  19th June 2018

  Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) has released updated versions of its VBS3, VBS Control Behavior Pack 1 and VBS Simulation SDK, the company announced on 13 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Is PLAAF harassment of Taiwan a dress rehearsal for Guam?

  28th May 2018

  The 11 May flight by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), yet another in a series of harassment exercises against Taiwan, may well have …

• Land Warfare

  Elbit concludes delivery of sights to ADF

  15th May 2018

  Elbit Systems of Australia has concluded the delivery phase of the Land 125 Phase 3C contract to supply XACTth65 thermal weapon sights to the Australian …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy's newest Warfighting Development Centre prioritises expert growth

  25th June 2018

  The new US Naval Information Warfighting Development Centre (NIWDC) has seen significant progress in its efforts to train subject matter experts in the domain, making …

• Digital Battlespace

  Systematic improves SitaWare solution

  7th June 2018

  Systematic has developed a number of new features for the latest versions of its SitaWare suite of C2 software, the company announced on 4 June. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneShield receives order for DroneGuns

  20th June 2018

  DroneShield announced that it has received an order to deliver 70 DroneGun tactical jammer systems to the ministry of defence (MoD) of an unnamed Middle …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2018: SOF partner capabilities in the spotlight (video)

  28th May 2018

  With the overlap between USSOCOM’s International SOF Week at SOFIC 2018, planners across multiple special operations organizations conducted an International SOF Capabilities Demonstration in, on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Japan lines up AH-X contenders

  4th June 2018

  The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) in Japan’s MoD has invited companies to provide information for its next combat helicopter to succeed the Fuji-Bell …

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 ...