Naval Warfare

Austal completes autonomy trials with former Royal Australian Navy patrol boat

24th April 2024

The work took place under the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), which has been a collaboration between Austal, Greenroom Robotics, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Warfare Innovation Navy Branch.

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

Boeing upgrades Australian P-8A Poseidon MPAs

15th April 2024

The upgrade contract could be extended beyond 2030 to cater for the additional two new P-8A Poseidons the Royal Australian Air Force was set to receive in the coming years.

Training

First ARTEMIS F-5 arrives in US for training programme

12th April 2024

The Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization (ARTEMIS) programme has involved upgraded cockpit, avionics and supporting aircraft architecture. A total of 22 additional F-5s were procured from Switzerland to support ARTEMIS.

Training

US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines conduct major military exercise in South China Sea

8th April 2024

The countries conducted a Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippine’s Exclusive Economic Zone on 7 April 2024.

Land Warfare

Japan orders three Mission Master UGVs

8th April 2024

Part of Rheinmetall's Mission Master family, the Mission Master Silent Partner (SP) is an eight-wheeled UGV designed to fulfil various logistics and battlefield support roles. Since 2017, several countries, including the UK, Netherlands and an undisclosed Middle Eastern country, have made purchases for trials and development purposes.

Land Warfare

Rheinmetall wins $145 million contract for subsystems to replace howitzers sent to Ukraine

2nd April 2024

The Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) was developed in the mid-1980s to meet a German Army requirement to replace its M109 SPHs and 185 were delivered. Export orders from Greece (24), Italy (70, of which 68 were produced locally) and the Netherlands (57) increased production to more than 330 systems.

Training

US marines and sailors arrive in Australia for new MRF-Darwin rotation

2nd April 2024

About 2,000 US marines and sailors will participate in the defence exercise with Australian forces in the Northern Territory. The current MRF-D 24.3 rotation will conclude in October and last for six months.

Air Warfare

Boeing starts construction on first final assembly facility outside North America

27th March 2024

The site will manufacture the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, the first combat aircraft manufactured, engineered and designed in Australia in more than 50 years.

Patrol boats

Evolved Cape Class (1-6) [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. The contract ...

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 - 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 ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

Programme 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 ...

Frigates

Sea 5000 Future Frigate (Hunter Class) [Australia]

Programme Background The Type 26 design and manufacture programme is known as the Global Combat Ship, created by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). The ...

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, ...

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 ...

Military helicopters - attack

Project Land 4503

Programme Background The Australian Army has begun its search for a successor to the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with an RfI issued by the ...

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 ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MQ-4C Triton (Option) [Australia]

Programme 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 ...

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 ...

Light attack, Trainer

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 ...

APCs/IFVs - tracked

Project Land 400 Phase 3 (Australia)

Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

Tanks

Project Land 907 Phase 2 (M1A2 SEPv3 MBT)

Programme Background Between 2006 and 2007, the Australian Army received 59 M1A1 AIM SA Abrams MBTs under Project Land 907 Phase 1. These vehicles were planned to ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

Project Land 129 Phase 3 (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 ...

Land: Radio and SATCOM

SK4110

Rohde&Schwarz; SK4110 is a high-power HF transmitter that provides beyond-line-of-sight communications with a high data rate. Notably, it has a liquid cooling system and optional ...

Air: air combat simulators

Air Combat Training

Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

Data links

MDM-2X02N

The MDM-2X02N is a tactical data link modem that combines the functionalities of a Link 11 DTS and Link 22 signal processor controller (SPC) into ...

Fixed wing aircraft engines

T56-A-14 turboprop

The Rolls-Royce (formerly Allison) T56 turboprop engine is one of the most widely used military engines with more than 18,000 produced and 200 million flight ...

Data links

MLT 2920

The MLT 2920 Multi Link Terminal is a Link 11/22 compatible data link solution. Supplied by Elbit Systems Deutschland, it comprises one Link 11 modem ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Kaman-22

Unveiled in February 2021, the Kaman-22 is the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Forces (IRIAF) flagship UAV. With a payload capacity of 300kg and seven hardpoints, ...

Sealift/replenishment vessels

ADV Guidance

In April 2023, Australia announced it had purchased an Undersea Support Vessel, which will support undersea surveillance systems trials. Built in 2013 and in service as a ...

Corvettes

Tasman Class (Avante 2200)

During Indo Pacific 2023, Navantia Australia unveiled the Tasman-class corvette. The vessel is based on the Avante 2200 design, which has already been procured by ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

Zephyr

Airbus Defence and Space is developing a family of Zephyr solar-powered, high-altitude pseudo-satellites that are capable of flying at 65,000ft. The Zephyr is a world-record-holding ...

Fighter - multirole

Mirage 5

The Dassault Aviation Mirage 5 multirole fighter is a single-engine, delta-wing platform which is a derivative of the Mirage III aircraft. Both of these platforms ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MQ-4C Triton

The MQ-4C Triton is a maritime version of the Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance UAS. Developed to fulfil the USN's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance requirement, the Triton ...

Transport

An-22

The largest transport aircraft of the time, the An-22 Antei (NATO reporting name Cock) is a heavy military transport aircraft developed by Antonov in the ...

OPVs

Arafura Class

Australia's Arafura-class OPV is being built under Project SEA 1180 Phase 1 by the Australian Maritime Shipbuilding & Export Group. The OPVs are to replace ...

Land: coastal surveillance radars

JORN

The Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) is a three-radar system designed to detect aircraft and ships, including small passenger planes, fighter jets and boats, off ...

Patrol boats

Cape Class

The Cape-class patrol boat was contracted to Australian company Austal in 2011 as a replacement for the Australian Customs and Border Protection fleet of Bay-class ...