• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop installs enhanced JTAGS in Japan

  24th May 2018

  Northrop Grumman and the US Army have deployed enhanced Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) capabilities in Japan to improve missile defence and battlespace awareness. JTAGS …

• Training

  Malaysia finally commissions two training ships

  3rd May 2018

  The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) formally commissioned two Samudera-class training ships on 26 April, five years past their targeted induction year of 2013. Both 75.9m …

• Naval Warfare

  HMNZS Te Kaha transferred to Lockheed Martin Canada

  30th April 2018

  Royal New Zealand Navy Anzac class frigate, HMNZS Te Kaha, has been transferred to Lockheed Martin Canada for its refit under the Anzac Frigate Systems …

• Defence Notes

  China sends bombers around Taiwan

  26th April 2018

  China flew bombers and fighter jets around Taiwan on 26 April, the air force said, the latest show of force by Beijing following warnings against …

• Military Logistics

  BAE Systems to sustain F-35 EW systems

  23rd May 2018

  BAE Systems has received a five-year contract from Lockheed Martin to sustain critical electronic warfare (EW) systems on the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2018: ScanEagle 3 to complement Insitu's existing family

  1st May 2018

  The arrival of the ScanEagle 3 will not see it push the legacy ScanEagle progenitor into retirement, rather representing an addition to Insitu’s family of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia details plans for unmanned surveillance

  17th April 2018

  A new High Altitude Sensor System (HASS) programme aims to harness new technologies for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with the utilisation of unmanned technologies. …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSA 2018: Rohde & Schwarz offers solutions

  19th April 2018

  After already achieving success in the Malaysian market, Germany-based Rohde & Schwarz showcased its range of products for military communications and intelligence solutions for Southeast …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2018: Rapid Ranger rides into Malaysia

  20th April 2018

  Thales, in conjunction with local partner Global Komited (a Weststar subsidiary), exhibited a Starstreak very short-range air defence system mounted on a URO Vamtac 4x4 vehicle at …

• Land Warfare

  UkrOboronProm to expand Malyshev facility

  27th April 2018

  UkrOboronProm (UOP) will refurbish its production facilities at the Malyshev plant, the enterprise announced on 26 April.The facility will also house a new light armoured …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Pennant VR parachute sim takes off (video)

  21st May 2018

  The Pennant Group demonstrated its latest parachute VR training simulator in Stuttgart at ITEC 2018. In the company's estimation, the virtual reality system is viewed …

• Military Logistics

  Opinion: Futenma relocation on Okinawa deserves medal for mediocrity

  16th May 2018

  Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma on Okinawa has distracted from more important needs in the Japan-US defence relationship for more than two decades. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  New Black Hawk mooring pads underway

  17th May 2018

  Work has begun on the construction of new helicopter mooring pads for the US Army's 1st Air Calvary Brigade in Powidz, Poland, as part of …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe 2018: Race to militarise AI heats up

  31st May 2018

  Touted as a game changing technology for defence systems, the race to exploit the battlefield potential of AI has heated up in recent years, contributing …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe 2018: US uses AI to defeat adaptive threats

  31st May 2018

  The proliferation of advanced digital radar systems is focusing military research and development efforts on technology that can identify and respond to unknown threat emitters …

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 ...