• Naval Warfare

  Turkish patrol vessels to get new remote weapon station

  28th July 2023

  Unirobotics showcased the Trakon Targan remote-controlled weapon system for naval vessels, equipped with versatile armament options and advanced electro optics, at the IDEF defence expo.

• Naval Warfare

  Boeing completes Orca large UUV trials and moves to next stage

  4th August 2023

  Boeing has completed months of at-sea testing of its Orca extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle (XLUUV), an activity which included a series of autonomous surface and submerged manoeuvres.

• Training

  HII's Mission Technologies wins $41 million US Navy contract for integrated training systems

  21st July 2023

  HII's Mission Technologies division has secured a $41 million contract under NAVSEA's SeaPort Next Generation framework to provide installation and sustainment of training systems for the USN, enhancing fleet readiness.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy's next-generation high-speed missile might not be hypersonic

  8th August 2023

  Concepts for new missiles for the US Navy (USN) are being finalised under the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Weapon (HALO) programme.

• Naval Warfare

  US declares IOC for special operations mini-sub

  25th July 2023

  Lockheed Martin's Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) achieves Initial Operational Capability with US Special Operations Command. This vehicle enables covert underwater missions, transforming undersea warfare for special operators.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2023: Can the Royal Navy's submarine fleet handle the pressure?

  12th September 2023

  The third and final instalment of Shephard’s focus on the UK Royal Navy (RN) examines the state of the submarine force. The SSN fleet is still in transition as the last Trafalgar-class boats retire and Astute-class boats struggles to get into service, and pressure on Vanguard-class SSBNs is increasing as the Dreadnought successor project gets under way following long delays.

• Air Warfare

  Quantum Systems, Airbus, and Spleenlab team up to research artificial intelligence from drone swarms

  3rd July 2023

  The German Armed Forces Planning Office has awarded Airbus Defence and Space, Quantum-Systems and Spleenlab a research contract to demonstrate and analyse the AI building blocks required for swarms of tactical UAS.

• Naval Warfare

  OSI to deliver T-ACT navigation systems to German navy for small craft operations

  21st July 2023

  OSI Maritime Systems has been contracted to provide T-ACT tactical and high-speed navigation systems to the German Navy for its small craft operations. The advanced capabilities support complex missions and interoperability.

• Naval Warfare

  Defence AI company Helsing envisions benefits for ASW, amplifying sensor capabilities

  24th July 2023

  According to defence AI company Helsing, the technology could improve how navies conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ukraine shows combat-tested armament at DSEI 2023

  15th September 2023

  The Ukrainian pavilion at DSEI 2023, organised by state-owned Spetstechnoexport, exhibited several indigenous combat-tested systems, including UAVs, USVs and an evacuation vehicle.

• Defence Notes

  Amentum to provide ground support for US Navy hypersonic development

  25th May 2023

  The US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Strategic Systems Hardware Division (GXW) has awarded Amentum a five-year contract with a potential value of $70 million.  …

• Digital Battlespace

  SitaWare C2 software chosen for German Navy

  1st August 2023

  The German defence procurement office (BAAINBw) has signed a contract with Danish C2 software company Systematic for new C4ISR solutions for the German Navy.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2023: UK-developed Venom revolver cannon to equip Turkish remote weapon stations

  8th September 2023

  The Venom LR, revolver cannon developed by UK-based AEI Systems, offers features such as reduced recoil, multiple firing modes and compatibility with standard 30mm ammunition. It is now being integrated onto Unirobotics' Trakon remote weapon station (RWS).

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Updated: Türkiye unveils Ulaq Kama, an armed expendable USV

  28th July 2023

  Ares Shipyard and Meteksan Defence showcase Ulaq Kama, an armed expendable USV featuring explosive payload and ISR capabilities. The vessel's swift production hints at its potential role in asymmetric warfare, with graphics resembling Ukrainian systems.

• Training

  International forces collaborate in Exercise Ulchi to enhance Northeast Asia's security

  22nd August 2023

  Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 23 underscores international cooperation in strengthening defence capabilities, as US and South Korean military units and several UN Command member states engage in training.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Bandit (US)

  Programme Background Goal As stated by Alyson Turri, the AFRL Bandit programme manager, the goal is to "develop an unmanned platform that looks like a fifth-generation ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Naval Collaborative Combat Air Vehicle (N-CCAV) [India]

  Programme Background CATS Warrior The Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned, uncrewed and crewed family of aircraft in development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Command Insertion Craft (CIC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Navy is seeking a replacement for its fleet of LVPs Mk5 amphibious landing craft. The vessels entered service in the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) [Thailand]

  Programme Background Roadmap In February 2024, the RTAF unveiled its White Paper 2024. Incorporating lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Hamas War, and other events ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Air Launched Effects (ALE) [UK]

  Programme Background Acquisition Pipeline First published on 13 June 2022, the Acquisition Pipeline is a forward look at potential procurement activity undertaken by the UK MoD.  ...

• Aircraft carriers

  CVX (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirements HHI was awarded a contract for the conceptual design of the LPX-II in October 2019. The project now aims to build a ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Hybrid Tiger

  Manufactured by the Naval Research Laboratory, the Hybrid Tiger is an electric UAV. As its name suggests, the platform features a hybrid power generation unit. ...

• Air: UAS radar

  RASAR

  The real-time, autonomous, synthetic aperture radar (RASAR) is a self-contained radar designed for installation under the wing of UAS for counter-IED and FOPEN (Foliage Penetration) missions. It is ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  SA-400 Jackal

  The SA-400 Jackal is a heavy-payload-capability, long-endurance VTOL UAS that had its first flight in 2013. It is an optionally piloted vehicle, so it can ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Outlaw SeaHunter

  Outlaw UAVs are used by military and research agencies for training, testing, data collection and system development. In the 114-137kg maximum take-off weight class, SeaHunter ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ShadowHawk

  The ShadowHawk is a VTOL UAV that can be transported and launched/recovered within a small area. The ShadowHawk is able to maintain aerial surveillance at ...

• Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Shyena/TAL

  Shyena, also known as TAL (The Advanced Light Torpedo), is an Indian lightweight anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (affiliated to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Havoc

  Havoc is a MALE modular payload UAS designed for customers with varying missions and payload requirements. Features include tool-less assembly, rolling take-off and landing and ...

• Military - USVs

  MAST

  The Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) was developed by ASV Global and Roke Manor Research under funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It ...

• Subsystems: software

  SWARM

  CHI Systems worked with Lockheed Martin on a programme for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to build software models that imitate human behaviour, and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Bat

  Northrop Grumman is developing the Bat family of medium-altitude, multi-mission UAS. The company announced two variants of the UAS (3.7m and 4.3m) and a rotary-wing ...

• Light UGVs

  Dragon Runner

  The Dragon Runner UGV, manufactured by QinitiQ, has two versions: the Dragon Runner 10 (DR10) and the slightly larger Dragon Runner 20 (DR20). All Dragon ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  CLS-200

  The CLS-200 is part of the Yates Electrospace Corporation Silent Arrow family. It is a powered cargo-carrying one-use UAV, based on the company's GD-2000 glider.  In ...

• Light UGVs

  Jackal

  Launched in September 2014, Clearpath Robotics' Jackal is a small, portable, integrated and weatherproof UGV. It has been built on a metal chassis and has four wheels ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Skate

  The Skate is a small, man-packable VTOL UAV designed for performing short-range ISR at the tactical level. A thrust-vectoring system provides a near-VTOL capability, enabling ...