Defence Notes

IAI selects five start-ups for accelerated technology development

2nd October 2020

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) R&D; and innovation managers have picked five start-up companies for accelerated development at its Innovation Center. QuantLR, Aigent-tech, DST, Scopoli, and …

Military Logistics

UK and Canadian companies win MRO work for US KC-130Js

1st October 2020

UK-based Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group announced on 1 October that it has obtained a ten-year ‘multi-million dollar’ multiple-award contract from US Naval Supply Systems …

Uncrewed Vehicles

Poland picks local provider to meet sUAS requirement

1st October 2020

The Polish Armed Forces are to receive six new VTOL sUAS and associated equipment in 2021, under a PLN4.6 million ($1.19 million) deal between the …

Land Warfare

US Army takes delivery of its first Iron Dome system

1st October 2020

The US Army has received its first Iron Dome battery from the Israel MoD, manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on 30 September. The army revealed …

Uncrewed Vehicles

HII breaks ground on new facility for unmanned technologies

30th September 2020

US-based shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is building a new facility to produce and test unmanned naval technologies. HII broke ground on the Unmanned Systems …

Uncrewed Vehicles

Greece issues tender for UAVs

30th September 2020

The Hellenic Army has released an electronic open tender for urgent procurement of five reconnaissance UAVs for ‘special operations’. Interested parties have until 29 October …

Uncrewed Vehicles

USCG to test and evaluate Sharktech

30th September 2020

Sea Machines Robotics is partnering shipbuilder Metal Shark Boats to supply the US Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center (RDC) with a new Sharktech 29 …

Digital Battlespace

Kongsberg signal processors to be integrated on Airbus satellite

28th September 2020

Signal processing equipment from Kongsberg is being integrated in the new Thuraya 4-NGS mobile communication satellite from Airbus Defence and Space. The integrated L-band pre- …

Land Warfare

USAF invests heavily in SBD I

25th September 2020

Boeing has been awarded a $2.2 billion contract for the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb Increment I (SDB I) weapon programme, the Department of Defense has …

Uncrewed Vehicles

IAI acquires 50% of BlueBird Aero Systems

24th September 2020

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has agreed to acquire 50% of the equity of UAS developer BlueBird Aero Systems, the company announced on 24 September. In …

Loitering munitions

Harop [Morocco]

Programme Background In November 2021, Haaretz reported that a $22 million drone sale between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Morocco had occurred. That publication and ...

Transport/tanker aircraft

KC-46A (Israel)

Programme Background Boeing, according to reports, would not grant Israel Aerospace Industries permission to convert used 767s into tanker planes. Consequently, according to Channel 12 ...

AEW&C

A-50E - India

Earlier in 2010, Indian MoD sent RfI to Israel Aerospace Industries to procure three EL/W-2090 radar systems to be installed on the A-50E aircraft, which ...

Transport/tanker aircraft

KC-46A Forecast (Israel)

Programme Background Boeing, according to reports, would not grant Israel Aerospace Industries permission to convert used 767s into tanker planes. Consequently, according to Channel 12 ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Heron TP [India]

Programme Background Emergency Procurement The Narendra Modi-led Indian government granted the Armed Forces Rs 500 crores to upgrade their warfighting capabilities due to the ongoing ...

Loitering munitions

Loitering Munitions [Japan]

Programme Background Appreciation of Loitering Munitions After years of not operating loitering munitions and armed UAVs, Japan's position towards them has changed. Belatedly, the MoD realised ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

Orbiter 3 (Croatia)

Programme Background The Croatian government launched a competitive tender for the procurement of a short-range UAV in October 2017. Although the tender was opened on ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

Artillery UAV [Thailand]

Programme Background Requirement & Replacement The Royal Thai Army (RTA) was understood to be seeking a new tactical UAV to replace four legacy Israel Aerospace Industries ...

Loitering munitions

Mini Harpy [Estonia]

Programme Background Russia's Aggression In February 2023, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the country was set to procure loitering munitions to enhance its indirect ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

WanderB (Morocco)

Programme Background History Morocco has a history of UAV deals with Isreal. In 2021, Morocco reportedly acquired four Hermes 900 units from Elbit Systems. Equally, according ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

ThunderB (Morocco)

Programme Background History Morocco has a history of UAV deals with Isreal. In 2021, Morocco reportedly acquired four Hermes 900 units from Elbit Systems. Equally, according ...

Loitering munitions

Loitering Munition PODS [UK]

Programme Background PODS As the Royal Navy states, Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) are "interchangeable modules that can be fitted to the surface fleet. Similar in ...

Military UAS - tactical

Short-Range RPAS (India)

Programme Background The Indian Army is reliant upon imported UAVs such as the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Searcher Mk 2 to provide short-range tactical ISR ...

Military UAS - MALE

NCUAV

Programme Background The ROKA recognised the need for a more capable long-range ISR UAV in the aftermath of the North Korean shelling of its forces ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MQ-9A Reaper (Second Batch) [Netherlands]

Programme Background First Batch Following a cancelled MALE UAV project in 2007, the Dutch MOD revealed its intention to acquire four MQ-9A Reapers from General ...

Military UGVs

RobDozer

The RobDozer, or Panda, is an uncrewed ground combat engineering system manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and ELTA Systems.  The UGV is designed for breaching tasks, ...

Loitering munitions

ASN-301

The ASN-301 is a Chinese anti-radiation loitering munition. Likely based on Israel's Harpy drone, the ASN-301 features a delta-wing configuration and a pusher propeller, and ...

Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Ghost

Developed to be versatile, Ghost is a manoeuvrable, rotary-wing mini-UAV designed for performing ISR missions in urban warfare, observation stakeout missions and covert special operations ...

Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

ELI-3120

Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) ELI-3120 is a Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) system designed for use at the operational and tactical levels. The ELI-3120 architecture also includes ...

Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

ELL-8385

Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) ELL-8385 is an integrated electronic support measure designed to equip Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Open source imagery intelligence indicates that the ...

Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

ELK-7071

Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) EL/K-7071 is an integrated electronic support measure designed to equip UAVs. While not explicitly stated by the system’s manufacturer, it is ...

Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Rotem

The Rotem, or Rotem L, is a loitering munition based on a multi-rotor UAV. Manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the quadcopter features an EO/IR camera payload ...

Loitering munitions

Kargi (Improved)

At ADEX 2022, Lentatek unveiled a new, as-yet-unnamed version of the Kargi loitering munition.  Instead of Kargi's radio frequency (RF) seeker, this new version features an under-nose EO/IR ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

I-View MK150

The I-View Eyeview or Firebird series includes three TUAS, offering solutions at different echelons, and is developed by Israel Aerospace Industries. The MK150 is a ...

Military UGVs

RobARC

The RobARC, or Sahar, is a military UGV manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The UGV's payload comprises a variety of sensors, allowing the Sahar to detect above-ground, ...

Military UGVs

RoBattle

The RoBattle, or LR3, is a six-wheeled military UGV developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).  Intended to assist troops engaged in mobile operations, it is a ...

Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

ELI-3001 AISIS

Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) ELI-3001 Airborne Integrated Signals Intelligence System equips the Israeli Air Force’s (IAF) three Gulfstream G-550 Shavit SIGINT aircraft. IAI’s official literature ...

AEW&C

Global 6500 AEW&C

Developed by L3Harris Technologies and Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems Group (ELTA), the Global 6500 AEW&C; consists of a conformal airborne early warning (CAEW) mission ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

I-View MK50

Israel Aerospace Industries’ smallest UAS in the I-View family of TUAS is the MK50. The system is able to land almost anywhere using a parafoil. ...

Fighter - multirole

Kfir

The Kfir is a multi-role supersonic combat aircraft that is now out of production. Despite this, its manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) still offers long-term maintenance support ...