• Defence Notes

  QinetiQ reports record growth and announces $2 billion contract but shows loss for FY2025

  27th May 2025

  QinetiQ has operations in Australia, the UK and the US with the latter including supporting Customs and Border Protection, US Navy aircraft carrier support and work on US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  QinetiQ to play pivotal role in US Army’s next-generation target acquisition system

  26th February 2025

  The Future Advanced Long-range Common Optical/Netted-fires Sensor (FALCONS) is a next-generation target acquisition system which is designed to provide enhanced all-weather target detection and identification at long range.

• Land Warfare

  QinetiQ awarded contract for further work on lasers, future systems and energy weapons

  6th May 2025

  Notable projects under the Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF) contract include the British Army determining the impact of a vehicle-mounted laser weapon on drones and testing a vehicle-mounted Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW).

• Land Warfare

  Australia inducts new QinetiQ EOD robots and 9mm pistols into service

  8th April 2025

  The new inductions will add significantly to the ADF’s infantry capabilities, especially during in-combat explosive ordnance disposal situations.

• Air Warfare

  QinetiQ wins $14 million contract to supply Vindicator drones to US Navy

  14th January 2025

  The five-year contract is reportedly the largest provision of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) support for use by the US Navy (USN) and will run until late 2029.

• Naval Warfare

  Helsing unveils new AI-enabled uncrewed underwater glider

  13th May 2025

  The glider, named SG-1 Fathom, has been designed to be scalable and affordable, and can be deployed for up to three months at a time, according to Helsing.

• Air Warfare

  QinetiQ wins US Army aerial target training contract worth up to $95 million

  28th October 2024

  The contract will see QinetiQ provide aerial target systems, including MQM-185Bs, to simulate aerial threats for the US Army.

• Air Warfare

  British Army to explore CUAS options to combat Class 1 drones

  25th March 2025

  Named Project Vanaheim, the joint project will be run by the British and US armies and is the ‘first wave’ in a substantial programme of work to update both armed forces’ CUAS capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy destroyer completes UAV live-fire exercise before heading to the Indo-Pacific

  3rd April 2025

  HMS Dauntless ran a full UAV test to mimic potential real-world threats.

• Land Warfare

  Final two contenders for key £2 billion British Army training contract selected

  18th February 2025

  The two remaining bidders for the flagship Army Collective Training Service (ACTS) contract will move on to the next 20-week phase to select the British Army's Strategic Training Partner.

• Land Warfare

  Modern militaries crawl towards electrification of the battlefield

  12th March 2025

  Full electrification of their land and air vehicles may be beyond modern militaries for now. But how close are they to the tipping point of the widespread use of electric vehicles?

• Land Warfare

  British Army and UK Royal Navy new counter-drone soft-kill systems near fielding

  13th January 2025

  Ongoing military operations in Europe and the Middle East have accelerated the development of a variety of systems to defeat uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

• Training

  QinetiQ wins 10-year aerial training contract with German armed forces

  1st August 2024

  The deal will be worth €284 million across the course of a decade of training provision.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures

  6th March 2025

  The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.

• Air Warfare

  UK Royal Navy Wildcat fires Sea Venom anti-ship missile

  9th October 2024

  The Wildcat is fitted with .50cal gun and carries Stingray torpedoes and Marlet lightweight missiles. Sea Venom substantially boosts the platform’s punch.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Project Vampire [UK]

  Programme Background Prior RN Tests Project Vampire began in 2021, before the January 2022 Phase 1 tender announcement. In September 2021, as part of Vampire, a Banshee ...

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

  Carrier-UAV: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Tanks

  Future Ground Combat System MBT (UK)

  Programme Background The UK MoD is understood to be in the process of determining the capabilities of a notional next-generation armoured vehicle fleet that could ...

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

  Skeldar V-200 (ASW) [Canada]

  Programme Background Contract Award At Euronaval 2022, Shephard reported that UMS Skeldar and Ultra had been awarded a Phase 2 contract on 19 October to provide ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Project Land 2097 Phase 4 [Australia]

  Programme Background According to the RfI, under Project Land 2097 Phase 4, the selected helicopter must comprise a commercial or military off-the-shelf solution that is ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Project Tiquila [UK]

  Programme Background Tender Notice On 18 September 2020, the MoD Combat Air Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team published a tender notice for a system integrator ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The OMFV programme is the latest of several attempts to develop a Bradley replacement.  Designed to be capable of operating with or without ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Jackdaw

  At DSEI 2023, QinetiQ unveiled the Jackdaw, a low-cost, high-performance, attritable fixed-wing UAV. QinetiQ has stated it is designed for swarming and collaborative autonomous operations, including crewed-uncrewed teaming. The ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Delta B15

  The Delta B15 is a target drone developed by QinetiQ Germany and Rheinmetall. QinetiQ Germany showcased the drone in 2024, as part of the initial phase of ...

• Military UGVs

  SPUR

  The Squad Packable Utility Robot (SPUR) is QinitiQ's newest tactical land UGV. Designed to be backpackable, the drone can be deployed rapidly from its stowed state.  It ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Mosquito UHV-T

  The Mosquito UHV-T, manufactured by QinetiQ, is a cost-effective unmanned helicopter target designed primarily for military training exercises. It is powered by a two-cylinder, two-stroke 60hp engine. ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Vindicator II UAV-T

  QinietQ, the manufacturer of the Vindicator II UAV-T, describe it as a cost-effective, recoverable, remotely piloted, basic training target. It is designed to simulate the threat ...

• Sea: weapon training, Military - USVs

  Sprite

  The Sprite is a USV developed by QinetiQ and designed for live-fire training exercises. 

• Air: aerial targets

  Banshee Jet 40 / Jet 40+

  The Banshee Jet 40 and Jet 40+ are aerial target drones developed by QinetiQ.  Part of the Banshee series, transonic systems that travel at or faster ...

• Air: aerial targets, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Banshee Jet 80+

  Released in 2018, the Banshee Jet 80+, also known as the MQM-185B, is an autonomous aerial target manufactured by QinetiQ Target Systems.  The Banshee target can simulate an ...

• Air: aerial targets, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Banshee NG

  The Banshee Next Generation (NG) is an aerial target manufactured by QinetiQ. It offers interoperability with other Banshee series equipment, and a twin-gas turbine engine powers it, ...

• Air: mission management systems

  MissionGrid

  Hensoldt MissionGrid is a mission system that integrates radar and electro-optic sensors using a mission computer, mission management software and data links. The system is ...

• Sea: weapon training, Military - USVs

  Hammerhead USV-T

  Hammerhead USV-T is an expendable uncrewed surface vessel target designed for simulating a multi-vehicle swarm threat. It is developed by QinetiQ Target Systems.

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  WAE-342

  The WAE-342 is a twin-cylinder, two-stroke engine developed by QinetiQ Target Systems (formerly Meggitt Target Systems) for integration on unmanned systems. 

• Air: aerial targets

  Banshee Jet 80

  Manufactured by QinetiQ Target Systems, the Banshee Jet 80 is an autonomous aerial target developed from previous versions.  It features a twin 40kg thrust gas turbine engine ...

• Military 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 ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Banshee Whirlwind

  Originally made by Meggitt Target Systems, a company QinetiQ acquired in 2016, the Banshee is an aerial target and the first drone in the Banshee series.  ...