Training

First US Navy T-54A training aircraft delivery arrives

23rd April 2024

Arrival of the first two T-54A multi-engine training system aircraft will allow the US Navy to begin the decommissioning process of its ageing T-44C Pegasus aircraft on schedule.

Air Warfare

Spain fortifies air defences with more NASAMS

22nd April 2024

Spain began the advancement of its air defence capabilities with the initiation of the NASAMS modernisation programme.

Naval Warfare

New deal to make AUKUS cooperation easier

22nd April 2024

The AUKUS agreement will support Australia’s purchase of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines under pillar one. Other pillars of the agreement cover high technology such as cyber, unmanned systems, AI, EW, undersea capabilities and information sharing between the three countries.

Air Warfare

Doodle Labs expands use of its radios on UAV systems

19th April 2024

Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems and supports six frequency bands in a single transceiver and AES-256 encryption. It was developed in cooperation with the US Defense Innovation Unit.

Digital Battlespace

Jacobs wins MoD cyber-security support contract

19th April 2024

The deal with Jacobs will run until November 2027 and will see the company deliver a range of digital and IT specialist professional services to Defence Digital.

APCs/IFVs - tracked

Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants)

Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

APCs/IFVs - tracked

Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles)

Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

Tanks

M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams (Poland)

Programme Background Requirement Since the early 2010s Poland wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Drone40 (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

Programme Background In August 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, held a podcast with Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, in which ...

Landing craft and hovercraft

Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

Programme Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of ...

APCs/IFVs - 8x8

Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV (Australia)

Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

Tanks

M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams (Forecast - Poland)

Programme Background Requirement The Polish Army wants to replace its legacy Soviet T-72 MBTs with new NATO-standard platforms to increase interoperability with its allies and ...

Tanks

Viatura Blindada de Combate-Carro de Combate (VBC-CC) [Brazil]

Programme Background Several key technical requirements have been outlined by the Brazilian MoD. Among the most important are that the platform should weigh less than ...

Submarines: nuclear, attack

Second Hand SSNs [Australia]

Programme Background Timeline In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock ...

Submarines: nuclear, attack

AUKUS-SSNs [Australia]

Programme Background AUKUS Australia announced on 16 September 2021 that the contract with Naval Group signed in 2016 had been cancelled. Although not a surprising ...

Tanks

VT4 Haider (Pakistan)

Programme Background Pakistan appears to have commenced its programme to acquire a new military off-the-shelf MBT in 2015, when several MBT designs were tested under ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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, ...

Military helicopters - maritime

MH-60R (Spain)

Programme Background On 16 March 2022, the US State Department approved an FMS to Spain for eight MH-60R helicopters and associated equipment and weaponry for $950 ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MQ-4C Triton (Contracted) [Australia]

Programme Background Three Contracted Units In June 2018, the Government provided Second Pass (Tranche 1) Approval to procure the first of six air vehicles, supporting ...

Destroyers

Hobart Class (Sea 4000)

Programme Background The Hobart-class consists of three air warfare destroyers (AWDs) for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ships replaced the Adelaide-class frigates. Built by a ...

Naval: RF, IR and acoustic decoys

Nulka

The Nulka active anti-ship missile decoy was originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian-US programme. BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor, while ...

S-64 Helitanker Fire-fighting Equipment

Erickson's 10,031l tank for the S-64 helitanker drops water, retardant or foam mix at a rate of around 95l/h. Microprocessor-controlled tank doors offer eight individual ...

Submarines: nuclear, attack

AUKUS SSN

The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

Air: helicopter flight simulators

HATS

In October 2014, the Australian government approved a A$700 million (US$530 million) contract award to Boeing Defence Australia, teamed with Thales Australia, to provide the ...

Tanks

M1A2 SEPv3

The M1A2 System Enhancement Package 3 (M1A2 SEPv3, also known as M1A2C) is the latest production-standard variant of the Abrams MBT. Designed primarily to address ...

Land: tactical engagement simulators

CVTESS

Saab's Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a laser-based simulator which supports every version of the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley ...

AEW&C

Global 550 CAEW

The G550 CAEW aircraft is a Gulfstream G550 adapted for AEW&C;, EW and ISTAR missions in Australia, Israel, Italy, Singapore and the US. The base platform is ...

Tanks

M10 Booker

The US Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) with a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected ...

Frigates

Adelaide Class

The Adelaide-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were based on the US Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry design, with the first four ships in class built for ...

Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

FGM-148 Javelin

The Lockheed Martin-Raytheon Javelin JV developed the FGM-148 Javelin for the US Army’s requirement for an Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium. Selected in 1989, the first ...

Data links, UAS: communication systems

MUMT-X

The Manned/Unmanned Teaming - eXpanded (MUMT-X) system allows AH-64E helicopters to communicate with and control UAS in flight. Capable of transmitting data and video across four ...

Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

Spike LR2

The Spike LR2 (NT-S) is Rafael’s fifth generation of the Spike missile and is backwards-compatible with existing Spike launchers.  Two warheads have been developed: a ...

Fighter - multirole

F-35A

The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...

Towed guns

105mm Light Gun

The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

Fixed wing aircraft engines

CFM56

The CFM56 family of engines is widely used commercially across Airbus aircraft, including A320 and A340, and Boeing, such as the 737, as well as ...